Bad Prophecies
by SafireBlade
Summary: The fates have always been cruel to Buffy but now they seemed to be openly mocking her. Her father strolls back into her life along side his new girlfriend as an ancient prophecy changes her life forever.
1. Fathers and Fangs

H

**Disclaimer:** BTVS and all likeness shown in this story is the property of Joss Whedon. I don't own anything.

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**Bad Prophecies**

**No New Slayers**

Part One

**Father and Fangs**

Chapter One

The smell of summer was still fresh, not yet worn away by the thunderstorms and changing leaves. Buffy Summers had always liked summer. There was no school, she could stay out as late as she liked. There was even a respite from the beasts that clustered around the Hellmouth. Her nights in the summer were mostly peaceful and lazy, tonight being the exception: her father was coming to visit her. Truthfully, she had not seen Hank Summers since her freshman year of high school and now… Well, now she was dutifully awaiting her father at The Bistro.

The Bistro was the fanciest place in Sunnydale, not like that was a hard thing to accomplish. Most places were plagued by random demon related attacks. The Bistro had been spared by the demon population, only by the fact that the owner had paid for protection by an organized vampire mob. The Slayer had allowed this action because the mob agreed to not kill their prey and to glamor the memory from them. It was one of the concessions that the Slayer had been making since the Adam problem. There was just not enough time to kill every supernatural gang in Sunnydale and sometimes, it was just best to cut a deal with the leader of whatever supernatural force was the least harmful than fight them all. It was all part of her new plan to keep herself alive as long as possible. Buffy often debated about telling Giles of her new game plan, but had decided against it. The watchers weren't much for grey areas in regards to the supernatural world and she doubted that Giles' watchers training would allow him to understand her plan.

The thought made her tired so she waved over the bartender. "Shot of vodka." Buffy ordered, letting her deep, creeping anxiety wash over her for a second.

The not entirely human bartender makes his way over recognizing the Slayer. Determined not to be on the slay list, he pulls a fat bottle of Absolute vodka coupled with a tiny shot glass. "Course anything, for the Slayer." The Bartender poured, doing his best to be charming.

Buffy picked up the shot, sucked it down with all the practice of a nineteen year old college student. She leaned into the bar waiting for the wave of happy that accompanied the not so pleasant burn of vodka. Yet it never came, instead thoughts of her father swam through her head making her throat dry. The Slayer almost waved the Bartender for another, when a high pitch squeal sounded from behind her.

The barely human squeal jolted Buffy upright and turned to face a woman with chocolate eyes, "Oh. My. God. Buffy! Is that really you? Me and the girls thought you died or something?"

In a confused moment of staring at a cheerful girl Buffy had forgotten, she smiled, "Yeah... it's been ages." Buffy picked through memories of the shallow girls that she use to know. _Oh my God who is this person? Was it Jessie? No, she had long straight blondish hair not frizzy messy coffee color hair. Okay, she looks familiar, I know she used to hang out with my group but I don't think we were friends per se. Was it that fat chick Rachel? I mean it could be and she just lost a lot of weight. No, Rachel would not be happy to see me. God I was a horrible person. Don't go down that road. Focus. But I know her. Actually, I think I hated her. Yes now I remember her, Hand Job Hannah. Yes, trashy red lip stick, brainless brown eyes, skimpy red cocktail dress and too big to be real breast; it was Hannah._

Hannah crawled onto a bar stool beside Buffy. The clueless girl rambled on about her engagement and how they're moving here from Los Angeles because they worry about the city's influence on their future children. It was all Buffy could do not to laugh. Instead she scanned the room looking for her father and trying to find a way to politely escape. Hannah explained, "So we're going to have a bunch of kids."

Before Hannah could go into more detail about her children she was planning; Buffy noticed Spike saunter into the bistro. For a second Buffy stared at the vampire in disbelief. It seemed Spike traded in his duster and black boots for more up-scale formal wear, shifting the punk rock villain into a strange, almost comical, mix of Gatsby and Kurt Cobain. The bizarre combination landed a ghost of a smile on Buffy's face, prompting her to do what she would normally never think of. "I have to go my date is waiting for me." Spike was better than nothing, ready for mischief. She sped off in Spike's direction. She kissed him on the cheek, "Honey you're late."

Spike wrinkled his brow in puzzlement at Buffy's strange behavior. "What the bleeding hell Slayer?"

Buffy could feel the brown eyes of Hannah Hand-job on her, so she grabbed Spike whispering low enough so only he could hear, "Pretend to be my date."

Only Spike refused to play along. "Shove off," he hissed, desperately trying to break away from his Slayer before his date showed up. Spike had no matter of luck as a willowy girl in a white sundress glided into the bistro. Her flowing dark hair and ghostly skin reminded Buffy of a living version of Drusilla. A pang of jealousy hit the Slayer as she realized that Spike was on a date.

Buffy had a sinister smile and put on her sad puppy dog eyes, "What are you talking about honey? We have been dating for two years and….." her hazel eyes welling up with tears. "You're cheating on me? I thought we had more than that?" Buffy inwardly laughed and thought to herself, _and the Oscar goes to, Buffy Summers_. The Slayer watched as Spike turns back into his punk rock villain self as he glares daggers at her. Buffy hiding her amusement put her puppy dog eyes on full blast.

Dru 2.0 looked horrified at the pair, "Oh God I didn't know. I am so sorry." The girl stormed off. Buffy wiped away her eyes giving the biggest smile to Spike.

Boiling rage filled Spike, "You bitch! Why did you do that?" He calculated whether or not the shock of the chip would be worth the second it would take to rip out the Slayer's throat.

Buffy's eyes seem to sparkle with wicked joy as her voice dripped with condescension, "Oh don't be upset. I was simply trying to help you from an unhealthy behavior pattern where you sleep with some idolized copy of your crazy ex-girlfriend." Self-satisfaction rolled off her like perfume on a French whore. "Or maybe... it was because I was just bored," She smiled.

Spike's voice dropped lower and became more predatory, "One day this chip will be gone and I will be bathing in your blood." Spike's growled out warning reminded Buffy he was dangerous. Brushing off the reminder Buffy rolled her eyes as Hank Summers strolled in through the doors of the restaurant.

Before, Buffy could say a word to her father; Hannah bolted from the bar, jumping on Hank like a lion on a juicy steak. Buffy eyes widened as she watched the happy couple kiss passionately. Spike examined the trio with a growing fascination.

Buffy recalled the conversation she had with Hannah. "Dad you're, engaged….." Hank wanted to settle down with a girl no older than her. "We were on the same cheer-leading squad." The comment was more to herself than anyone else. Still Buffy found herself staring at the kissing couple in dumbfound amazement. _Did she know she was with my father and chose to leave out that part of her story or did she not know?_

Hank coming up for air said, "Oh. I suppose you're right. I forgot you two were classmates." Acknowledging the two girls familiarity was something as inconsequential as expired milk.

On the other hand Hannah's normally brainless brown eyes sparkled with giddy realization, "Oh my god, I thought your daughter was sooo much younger. I would never have guessed you two were related. You are just so young looking Hanky... Oh my god, this means I'll be my besty's step mother." Hannah's gasp of astonishment seemed to kick Buffy in the stomach, making her itch for a good slay. The growing anger was briefly interrupted by a cruel chuckle that stiffened Buffy's spine.

"Kitten, who is your friend?" Hank asked, looking over Spike, seemingly as innocent as any other father looking over his daughter's date.

Buffy had forgotten about the vampire she had been teasing only moments ago. Hannah looked at Spike, "Oh I am sorry, this must be sooo awkward for you. Buffy aren't you going to introduce us to your boyfriend?"

Spike teased, "Yes pet, aren't you going to introduce me to your family?" He wondered how long he could push this before Buffy snapped. _Payback's a bitch, Slayer_. Amusement plain on Spike's face, he watched the scene unfold.

Buffy's face grew pale, "What? Oh... yeah because I told you... and... well... this is William."

A devilish grin played across Spike's face, "Why so formal love, call me Spike." Spike eyed Hank curiously, wondering if charming daddy dearest would infuriate Buffy more than him being a complete twat. Spike picked the former given the current circumstances. He shook Hank's hand, trying to be as charming as possible.

Horrified, Buffy tried to get rid of Spike, "Oh god honey, I totally forgot doesn't your band have a gig or something tonight?" She prayed Spike would give her a break and leave.

Spike was not that kind. Instead he quirked his eyebrow upwards before saying, "No honey, that's next week." Buffy gave Spike a look that seemed to scream 'I'm going to kill you when this is over.'

Meanwhile, Hank scanned Spike and Buffy up and down and called over to the hostess, "Table for four and the best bottle of whiskey this place has." The hostess sat them at a table at the back of the restaurant. Hannah frowned at the thought of the bitter amber liquor, "Hanky boo you know how I hate whiskey." Hank agreed, "Yes that's right give the ladies a nice Merlot." He tried to remember what his daughter liked to drink. However the only thing that came to his mind was chocolate milk and a little girl in pigtails. For a moment he longed to go back to that little girl who loved him, despite all his flaws. Unable to, Hank turned his attention to Spike, "Do you like cigars Spike?"

Spike answered, "Yes I do." Smiling at the memory of Drusilla and him smoking on the beach in Cuba after draining a few locals.

Hank smirked, "Well it's your lucky day. I just got a gift from my friend in Cuba." Hank pulled out two cigars and handed one of them over to Spike. Hank inhaled the intoxicating smell of the tobacco.

The two were just about to light up when Hannah wriggled her nose in a disgusted whine, "Hanky Boo! You said you would quit smoking after my grandfather died of lung cancer."

Hank kicked himself for that promise. Hank sighed unceremoniously and placed the cigar back in his pocket. Spike was about to light up anyway, but with a withering look from Buffy, he refrained following Hanks lead. Hank drove the conversation forward, "Oh honey, I promise I will quit before our wedding day." Shifting tension onto Spike, Hank asked, "Now Spike, where did you and my daughter meet?" The waitress placed liquor and wine on table. Buffy took a swig of her Merlot, wishing she had something stronger. She remembered the first time she met Spike in an alley. He had been the definition of cool as he said to her, tomorrow you die. It was not a story to tell her father by any means. Spike merely studied Buffy fondly as he pictured the innocent girl in the alley he had met so many years ago. A twinge of sadness entered the memory as Spike compared the Buffys'. _That girl was dead and replaced by a lethal woman in a little black dress_, Spike thought. Spike decided to tell some of the truth, "It seems like a long time ago, don't it pet? Let's see, it was the night of your parent-teacher conference and I was hanging out in the library when Joyce introduced us. There was a chemistry between Buffy and I right away." He smiled fondly at the memory of the axe wielding Joyce; before adding, "Unfortunately, we were both with the wrong people so the chemistry we had got turned into hate." He finished his story with a half truth, "We ended up at the same college, I saw her talking to some frat boy and thought she was just too beautiful for such a ponce. That is when I realized that I loved Buffy." It had been a trick of the sun Spike believed. It made her look gentle which made the sappy poet in him want to write.

Hannah cooed, "Oh that is so sweet, isn't it Hanky boo?"

Hank agreed, "Yes."

Spike and Hank took shots of whiskey together while Hannah and Buffy sipped the Merlot.

Spike looked over at the sulking Buffy; so in order to make her feel worse he asked, "Tell me, where did you two meet?"

Hannah started to tell a long winded story about how they met, when they're going to marry and how they are going to settle down in Sunnydale.

Hank looked over at his daughter and realized something was wrong. Hank turned to his daughter, "Buffy what's the matter?" Her mood had soured through the night.

Buffy in utter disbelief, "What is the matter? You really don't know?" _Everything is wrong,_ Buffy thought. Hank was a selfish womanizing jerk and now he was giving up his womanizing ways for a tramp that was young enough to be his daughter.

Hank dumbfounded, "No, I don't understand honey. I wanted you to meet the love of my life and to tell you that I am moving here to be closer to you. Yet you seem unhappy. Why?"

Buffy mouth dropped, "The love of your life? Let me get this straight. For the last four years, you completely and totally cut your only daughter out of your life, so you can fuck your way through every bimbo in LA. Then, finally, what? You had some realization that you actually wanted to get married and be a father again?"

Hank grasped his fiancée's hand, "Yes, but the way you say it makes it seem like a bad thing."

Spike more mockingly says, "Yep she likes to do that with people's plans. We're trying to work on it. Aren't we pet?"

Buffy with utter annoyance and confusion, "I can't take this, I've got to go."

"Well it's been nice meeting you, but I should go check on her," Spike bid his farewell.

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Thanks for all of you who are reading this story. My beta's both HayleyLouise and Seiftis-forevs-47 worked hard on editing these pages so big thanks to them. Please read/review or follow/favorite


	2. Into The Forest

I don't own BTVS

**Into The Forest**

Chapter two

The Slayer stormed away from The Bistro; letting her feet guide her to where she was supposed to be. Spike was following her steps. At first he tried to get her attention but she had ignored him. Instead the Slayer ambled far from the small towns streets towards the woods. Due to the Hellmouth's strange power over Sunnydale; the town was noted for both dry barren deserts on one end of town and then having a forest on the other. Nevertheless this strange patch of forest was new to Buffy. It was almost as if the Hellmouth opened up a portal and Buffy stumbled inside. That thought made her stop, forcing Buffy to wonder where she was. Nothing moved in the forest, it was still as death. Buffy could find nothing wrong with that and found a peace in the stillness so she pressed on, not noticing the mystic energy clouding her usually sharp senses.

The energy of the forest had the opposite effect on Spike. It both unnerved him and put him on edge. He, unlike Buffy, was looking for any sign of movement in the forest, readying himself for a sudden attack. The pair of warriors walked for hours, until they got to a fork in the over grown path.

Buffy closed her eyes, hearing a soft song playing far away from the pair. The music seemed to call to Buffy like a mother's lullaby. The lullaby seem to guide the Slayer to the path on the left. The Slayer was moving uncharacteristically slow, almost clumsily, as she moved over stray roots. Spike called to Buffy, trying in vain to catch the Slayer's attention as she scratched herself on a sharp branch. _Something is wrong with her_, Spike thought. Now the vampire could feel something watching them from the shadows.

In a last ditch effort to stop Buffy from going any further Spike grabbed her arm, violently turning her to face him. For a moment she stopped her hypnotic journey through the forest. Spike claimed, "We shouldn't be here."

Buffy stared with glassy eyes at the vampire, "Shut up Spike." Her words had no bite to them; she was in a trance, as the music begged her to go deeper. Refusing to let Buffy go Spike turned on his game face, in order to get a better look at the forest. With that one shift Spike knew they were being hunted. His demon seemed to warn him of their attacker, telling him without words, of the primal forces at work. The demon begged Spike to run and leave the Slayer to her fate. However the Poet whined, _Stay and fight. Keep the Slayer safe_. Spike compromised with his two halves, "We should go back now. Something is here and it's big and nasty. I don't think you could fight it tonight."

Buffy turned to Spike with an innocent smile on her face, showing how truly young she was, "It's fine Spike, my sisters are here."

Spike was confused, "You don't have any sisters, Slayer."

The Slayer kept trudging forward and against all better judgment Spike went with her. Until he was attacked by a blur, that is. Faith had plunged Spike to the ground with an extra blast of strength. He was certain he was about to meet his end at this Slayer's stake, when Buffy yanked the other Slayer off. Buffy snarled, "Mine!"

Faith pulled back from her older sister's grasp. The dark Slayer sneered down at the vampire, "Fine." Then as Spike got to his feet the two Slayers hugged.

Buffy spoke, "I've missed you."

Under closer expectation Spike saw blood clinging to every part of Faith. None of it had been hers and all of it smelt human. _The Slayer has had some fun, _Spike thought.

Faith started to sob, "Our sisters are dead."

Buffy narrowed her gaze to further down the path, "We can't be. One dies another must take her place."

Faith's tears fell freely down her blood covered cheeks, "We fucked up."

Spike looked down the path where Faith had come. There was no beast but he could feel something old and powerful around.

Spike growled, "I hate to interrupt family moments, but we should go."

Buffy shook her head, "We must fight."

Faith's face went pale, "No B, mother is mad. Everything got so fucked up, so fast. I'm sorry. I love you." Faith sobbed, "She will kill you."

Faith started to pull Buffy back towards the street lights but she was unmovable, "Then I will die." Seeing hundreds of bodies filling the forest floor Faith shook her head, "I can't... please... don't make me see another sister die."

Buffy refused so Faith ran out of the forest. Spike had hoped when he saw his Slayer staring at him with those stony hazel eyes, that she had changed her mind about fighting. Stubbornness filled the Slayer's voice, prompting her to say, "Follow her and keep her safe. She will be the last."

Spike sighed, "Tomorrow, you will thank me." Spike muttered, "Angelus and Darla both were right about me. I am a bloody pathetic vampire." Spike grabbed her arm dragging her from the forest while she kicked and screamed and he thought it strange that his chip did not go off.


	3. Counsel of Wonkers

Don't Own BTVS

**The Council of Wankers**

Chapter three

It had been an uneventful night for the most part. Giles mentally went over his to do list for the day. It had started off simple enough; Willow had come over to sort through his books, so they could carefully scan every page into the clunky white PC. The process had been followed up by an arrangement of questions from Willow. By the time the pair got half way through the library Giles broke, answering all the witch's questions. Giles explained that he could not escape the truth – his Slayer did not need him anymore. That fact had forced him to return to England at the end of the month. This would mean the watcher would need to give the group of young people in his life a digital copy of his massive demon library, so they could be prepared for any new battles.

Now that the scanning and the explaining was done, Giles had time to sit down with a glass of scotch and a leather tome he received from an old friend from the council, Lydia. Lydia had called him a month ago to translate a banned book from their library. At the time, Giles had been both too busy and bitter to do anything for the council; however with his return to England in his mind, he decided to start on the translation of the Anthology of Slayers: The Legends and Secret Origins. As Giles read he found himself growing more worried. Downing the rest of his scotch, he put down the hefty tome scrambling to the kitchen.

Giles poured himself another scotch as bitterness embraced him, like the warmth of the liquor on his lips. Fuzzy, angry thoughts from the liquor entered the watchers head, _Why the bloody hell not? If Tatamy's Prophecy is going to come to pass, it would have to be under my watch_. He dutifully went back to his arm chair to finish reading and translating. Giles flipped to the next page entitled 'The End of all Slayers'. "Of course, why wouldn't the council ban the one book that explains the destruction of the entire Slayer line," Giles muttered to himself. Half way through the page, the front door of Giles' flat came splitting off its hinges, followed by the guttural yelling of Spike, "God damn it, Watcher; what in the bloody hell did you and your lot do now?" Buffy was knocked out and draped over Spike's shoulder like a bag of potatoes. Before Giles could get to his feet to examine Buffy, Spike slung her onto a long sofa near Giles.

Giles sprinted over to the sofa and accused Spike of Buffy's banged up state, "What the hell is going on?" The watcher demanded. Spike glanced down to the bruised, yet still angelic, Slayer.

Much to the watchers surprise, fear dripped from Spike's voice, as the vampire spat the question back at the watcher, "What the hell is going on you ask? I came here to ask you that question. All I was trying to do was have a nice night, not causin' any harm to anyone but no, no, no Old Spikey had to follow little miss stick up her arse. This shit has all the markings of the Council of Wankers. So you fix it! I'm done." Spike paced back and forth becoming more animated with every step.

Giles exhaled slowly trying to calm his nerves, "Okay, tell me what happened?" Hoping that in some strange twist, this had nothing to do with Tatamy.

Spike's frantic pacing halted as he remembered the creature in the forest. The vampire shook his head vehemently, "Fuck no. Whatever trouble the Slayer and her band of marry men got themselves involved in, I am not going to be part of it."

Giles took a threatening step toward Spike, "This is important, Spike. There is no time for procrastinating or bribing. If my suspicious are correct the natural balance of our world could be destroyed. "Lately the watcher had been hearing stories from his remaining mates in the council, that future Slayers were just vanishing out of nowhere. This fact, coupled with the existence of a second Slayer, was a recipe for Tatamy's prophecy. _If the first Slayer was able to manifest in this world for any period of time, it could mean the end of world as we know it_, Giles believed.

Spike's resolve seemed to wither as he looked at Buffy, "Fine. We're in the woods and I feel somethin' funny but couldn't place my finger on it, so I started tryin' to get the Slayer to leave the woods. Somethin' was goin' down and it's bad and old. The Slayer starts jabbering on about her sisters and kept walking. Until we ran into that fun Slayer Faith and she was covered in human blood. At first I thought that it was going to be okay. Let the two Slayers have their little cat fight and then it will be over. Then the strangest thing happened, the two Slayers hugged and rambled on about some mother, who they brassed off. Then Faith ran away and our Slayer wanted to stay and fight but there was something off about her tonight." Spike's voice became small and thoughtful; almost reliving the moment he saw the primal force that had been hunting him and Buffy all night. "So I tried to drag her away... but this thing, it was a spirit or somethin' I don't know... it kinda felt like a Slayer almost." Shaking off the feeling from the forest, Spike shifted back into his normal persona, "Whatever it was, it came out from the shadows and tried to kill me, but Buffy... she saved me and then her and that thing fought and for a second I thought we were going to win but the thing kissed Buffy on the head…. then she just passed out. What the hell did you do?"

Giles cleaned his glasses not sure which to be more confused about, the fact that the first Slayer was back or the fact that Spike actually seemed to care. Giles put on his glasses and looked at Buffy realizing, once again, how young she was. Giles looked toward the book. "This isn't good. I need to make some calls," Giles picked up the phone dialing the council. Once a council member answered Giles said the code word they were all trained in, "Pigaínete"

"What the hell is going on here?" Spike demanded.

Giles ignored Spike dialing Willow's number. The phone rang three times, before the girl in question answered, "Willow come to my place now, bring the others." Giles put down the phone looking at Buffy.

Spike longed to rip out the watcher's throat for ignoring him. It would be so wonderful all warm and spitting like a sprinkler. To cover up the blood lust Spike growled at the watcher, "Rupert I hate repeating myself, what fuck is going on here?"

Clearly not intimidated by the vampire Giles hissed, "Why did you save her?"

Spike had not examined his reasons behind saving the girl. He just did. There had been no other option in Spike's mind. _Buffy needed help so I helped. Why is he so pissed off by it?_

Unimpressed with the vampire's lack of a response, Giles ordered Spike away, "Leave and tell no one of what happened tonight."

Spike was unable to silence the nagging poet's voice in his head. The voice demanded to know what that thing was and why it attacked his Slayer. Meanwhile, Spike's demon demanded blood. Eat, hunt, kill, fuck was on repeat in Spike's head. Leaving the flat, Spike's only hope was to do two out of four items to whatever attacked his Slayer. Twenty minutes had passed since Spike left. Giles had put Buffy in his guest room upstairs, before the five other members of the scoobies arrived.

Willow, the unofficial third in command, spoke first, "What happened?"

Giles cleaned his glasses, "According to Spike, Buffy and him were attacked by the first Slayer." He sucked in a breath not ready for this next part, "In an attempt to disable Buffy from attacking, the first Slayer put Buffy under some type of sleeping curse. Spike was able to get himself and Buffy out of danger, before the first Slayer could finish them off."

Playing the jilted lover, Riley questioned the story, "How do we know that Spike didn't cast this spell?"

Xander nodded his agreement with Riley, "Because, after Adam we all know, how wonderfully trustworthy Spike can be."

Giles was tiring of this conversation, "Though I do not understand Spike's motives in helping us, I do know that potential Slayers have been vanishing for the last year. With that information in mind, it makes more sense that the first Slayer is the cause of Buffy's current predicament than Spike."

Willow's eyes widening at the implications, "Wait a second... the first Slayer?! Like the one who tried to kill us in our dreams? How did she physically manifest?"

Giles answered coolly, "I'm not sure." Readying himself for the next part of his announcement "That's why I'm going to go to London."

"So your just gonna leave us now?" Xander exclaimed. "Buffy's in some magical coma thing. You can't leave!"

Giles wished he could strangle the boy at this moment. However the watcher refrained by closing his eyes and explaining calmly, "I have no choice, this is the first time the first Slayer left behind a victim." Giles rationalized. "While I'm gone I need all of you to help. Riley I need you to find out if Faith's still in jail. If she's not we need to find her. Spike said he saw her here before the attack fleeing from the first Slayer. So look for her while on patrol." Turning to Willow Giles ordered, "Willow I need you to find a spell to wake up Buffy as soon as possible."

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Thanks for all of you who are reading this story. My beta's both HayleyLouise and Seiftis-forevs-47 worked hard on editing these pages so big thanks to them. Please read/review or follow/favorite.


	4. Rats Before Slayers

Don't own BTVS

Rats Before Slayers

Chapter four

The night was growing old, as Spike staggered out of Willy's bar and bumped into creatures that on a normal night would have snapped him in half, but tonight they didn't care; everyone in the demonic world was celebrating. All the Slayers were gone, save one and she would die soon enough. The demonic community would make sure of that, but right now there was celebration in the air and no one wanted to make battle plans until they were certain that all the Slayers were gone for good. Spike pondered, _I should be happy no more Slayers after Miss Stick up her arse dies. Soon, we will rule... There will be nothing protecting this world from chaos... Damn girl, she would be the last Slayer. I should be helping my brothers at arms, planning the perfect way to kill that bitch._

Spike, who was now well away from Willy's bar, noticed that the streets were dead and the only people out, were those who wanted to be a monsters meal. _Only fifty years ago I would have jumped at the opportunity to kill the last Slayer. I would spread that bitch's guts across the battle field and then fucked Dru's brains out._ He flopped on a bench and stared up at the stars wondering if Dru saw him right now. He wondered what she would be doing. _It's this chip's fault. It makes everything all grey and disappointing_.

A red Mercedes stopped in front of Spike, while he was staring at the side walk wondering where everything went wrong. A honking pulled him out of his daydream and the driver rolled down the window. Hank greeted, "Spike, just the blood sucker I was looking for."

Spike looked up, "What the hell?" This could not be good.

Hank coolly requested Spike hop into the car. The lawyer needed this meeting to both be short and to go well.

Spike answered, "Why?" In the vampire's long life experience, when strange men offer you rides in expensive cars, you don't go.

Hank explained, "I have an offer for you." Hank wouldn't let up. He needed to talk to Spike.

Spike inquired, "What kind of offer?" Under normal circumstances Spike would flash his game face sending the man running, but this was the Slayer's father. His curiosity for the Slayer's family had made Spike ignore his better judgment

Hank laid down one of his cards, to show he meant no harm, "You're looking for that dead Slayer chick right?" That caught Spike's attention. Hank had been uninvolved in the Slayer's life for many years. For all Spike new Daddy dear didn't know about anything that when bump in the night. For a moment the two stared each other, sizing the other up. Spike blinked first deciding to see how much the man knew, "Sorry, you're looking for the Slayer's backup singers." Spike saw a flicker of understanding play across the slightly wrinkled brow of Hank Summers. For a second Spike pondered if Hank was entirely human. The man felt human enough and he had the same sweet scent that Buffy carries so they have to be related, right?

Hank answered, "Like I said, hop in." The words came out like a dare forcing Spike to walk to the other side of the car and get in.

They drove towards the old high school. After a long time of not talking Spike finally asked, "What the hell is going on? And who are you."

Hank supplied, "I'm Hank Summers and you are William Pratt." This part of the process Hank didn't like. He was a lover and not a fighter so the intimidation part was never fun.

Now Spike vamped out, "How in the bloody hell do you know that?"

Hank fearlessly explained, "I know a lot. For one you were not called William the Bloody for being a total bad ass, but a shitty poet instead. I know you tried to kill my daughter many times but you never went through with it. I always wondered why you couldn't seal the deal with my little girl. She was still young and learning, not yet as good as someone of your age; so why couldn't the great Slayer of Slayers finish my little girl? I couldn't understand it until I heard the story you told at dinner, which was mostly full of crap, but it told me something about you. So Mr. Pratt, I am here to offer you a deal. Keep an eye on my daughter and protect her if needed but I want to be informed of how she is doing? How about it?"

Spike looked over the Slayer's father. In attempt to puzzle out the man's motives, he said, "Hank I like you so I am not going to play games with you. My answer is no." The car stopped in front of the high school.

Hank smirked, "What if I took out the chip?" This was the part Hank loved and was good at, finding what people want most and using it.

Spike thought for a second, "You're full of shit. How can you take out the chip?"

Hank stared down Spike, "I know a doctor who worked under Walsh. His name is Tomas Fleshing. He owes me a favor. If you change your mind we will be at this address until sunrise." He handed Spike a card.

Spike's eyes flashed, "A dangerous move; how do you know I won't betray you and kill you and your daughter. I've done it before. Remember, I am a monster."

Hank laughed bitterly, "Oh Spike, I've worked for some pretty evil sons of bitches. I mean creatures that lie, rape and murder like it is breathing. I know when people lie to me and I know when you come you will not turn back on your word."

Spike got out of the car giving his goodbye and walked into the remains of the school. In the doorway was Faith.

Spike shook, "Oh my god." It was true; Buffy was the last Slayer breathing.

Faith had been ripped apart; her guts were strung across the floor and rats were now eating away at her carcass. Spike went to a pay phone to call Giles.

Willow responded, "Hello?"

"I found your missing Slayer. Looks like Miss stick up her arse is the only one left." Spike tried to hide his worry.

"What? Where are you?" Willow inquired nervousness creeping into her voice.

Spike paced, "The high school she is right here in the doorway. Surprised you lot didn't find her first." Spike asked, "Found a cure for her yet?"

"Maybe… how, bad is it out there? We tried calling Angel but-." Spike didn't let Willow finish.

Spike sighed, "Whatever, The Slayer, she is all on her own now and the demonic world knows that. It won't be too long until they start coming after her." Spike hung up.


	5. Little Lion girls

Don't own BTVS

Little Lion Girls

Chapter five

Buffy woke up in a strange cream colored room with black shades. She crawled out of the warm bed and looked around for a door but there was none. She pushed back the shades and there was no window. She pushed on the walls but none of them seemed to budge. Finally, she gave up and sat on the floor folding her arms and tried to figure out what was going on. _Okay I was with my dad and Spike. There was something else but I can't remember what it was. It was important though. It had something to do with Faith. I know that much_.

She scanned the room again but there was not much to be seen in the room. She lay down on the floor staring at the white ceiling when something shiny in the corner of the room caught her eye. She crawled on her knees to it and found that it was a door no bigger than a mouse hole. She opened it and saw two little blond girls that looked alike. It seemed the only difference between the two was the color of their dress: one was black and the other was white. They were no older than five years. They seemed to be playing with seven silver daggers.

Drawn to the girls Buffy found herself needing to reach out to them. With maternal warmth Buffy didn't realize she possessed, she called to the children, "Hey kids!" Realization hit her, _Yes, call out to the possible demon children with weapons, that's the smart thing to do._

The little girl in the white turned around, "Mommy? Why are you in the walls?"

Buffy tried to explain, "I am not in the walls; I am stuck in the room behind the walls. Can you help me?"

The Little Girl in White asked another question, "How did you get stuck in the walls?"

Buffy grumbled, "I don't know. Can you help me?"

The little girl in black came over, "Maybe Daddy could help. He is very helpful now Mommy. You would like him much better now."

Buffy heard a door open and footsteps enter into the room in front of her. Buffy felt the new occupant in the room and before even seeing the creature, she knew it was a vampire. Longing to protect the children Buffy begged the girls to run, "You girls have to hide there is a bad guy coming."

The little girl in white said, "Why would we hide its just Daddy?" Buffy soon saw the black boots and she knew who it was.

Spike to Buffy, "Hey Pet, whatcha doing down there?"

Buffy whined, "Spike, great just what I need, a pain in the ass vampire."

The Little girl in white asked, "Can you help mommy?"

Spike nodded, "I think I can."

Spike pulled out a little vile and handed it over to Buffy.

Buffy frowned "Is this poison?"

Spike laughed, shaking his head, "No love. It will make you grow small enough to get through the door and it is completely reversible."

Buffy looked at the bottle and pulled the cork out and sniffed it to be sure it wasn't poison and then drank deeply. As she drank, she grew shorter and shorter until she was able to get through the door. The little girl in white put her little hands through the door and grabbed Buffy and pulled her inside the room.

The little girl in white said, "Look Mary, Mommy is the size of a doll."

The little girl in black, "Mommy you should play dolls with us."

Spike tried to look stern but failed, "Come on my little ones, we need to get Mommy back to her normal size so she can go and do what she needs to do."

The little girl in white whined, "But she always does that and she never has time to play with us."

Buffy squirmed around in the sticky hands of the little girl.

Spike crouched down to the little girl and put his game face on. "This is not a matter of discussion young lady. You will hand over your mother this instant."

The little girls just laughed and the little girl in white kissed him on his bumpy fore head.

The little girl in black was excited, "Let's go show Mommy our new toys."

The little girl in white carried Buffy up some stairs.

Spike, chasing after the girls, growled, "I mean it, if you two don't give Mommy back to me in the next three seconds, I will take away your favorite lion doll."

He was trailing after them.

Buffy looked up at her captures, "I promise when I become my normal height, we will play just give me to Spike."

This made them stop. The little girl in black stated, "She said this before and never followed through."

"Yes, but Mommy seems different. You have to play with us as soon as you become normal height again." Said the little girl in white.

Buffy pleaded with them, "I promise."

The little girl in white finally acquiesced, "Okay. Here you go Daddy."

Spike held out his hand and the little girl dumped Buffy into it.

Spike ordered, "Now go up there and Mommy will be right back."

Spike took Buffy down the hall into the kitchen. He placed Buffy on the counter beside a Cookie jar decorated by Willow.

Buffy looked at Spike, "Spike I'm confused. Why do those girls keep calling me Mommy and you Daddy?"

Spike laughed, "It would be, because we are their parents."

Spike reached in to the cookie jar and handed her a sugar cookie.

Buffy voice shook, "That can't be right. Vampires and humans can't have children."

Spike ignoring her, "Take two bites and you should be the same height as before."

Buffy did as Spike said by taking two mouse size bites out of the cookie. Buffy dropped the cookie on the counter as she grew back to normal height.

"I should go up there now," Buffy sighed.

Spike looked up the steps, "There really isn't time. She is looking for you."

Buffy looking in the same direction, complained "But I Promised."

"There is no time, love." Spike stated plainly.

Worry was clear in Buffy's features, "But I am so confused. Faith, is she okay? I have this foreboding feeling and I think she is dead."

Spike shrugged, "She is with the rest of them."

Buffy swallows a growing fear, "I want to see the girls."

Buffy got off the counter and climbed the stairs only to find herself in a giant coliseum. The sun was high in the sky shining over a sea of decaying flesh. Blood from millions of young women stained the dirt floor scarlet, while the sun morphed the corpses into something unrecognizable. The sight of rotting flesh made bile rise to Buffy's throat. Falling to her knees, puke shook her body. When she noticed that some of the bodies were no older than the little girls in black and white, she screamed, "Girls. Come here. This place is not safe!" Then a horrible thought came to her: Oh god what if they are one of these bodies. "Girls... please come out. I want to play with you."

Out of nowhere Riley's voice broke through the coliseum, "Buffy?" Buffy looked around the piles of the dead ignoring the sound of Riley's voice. This made him speak again, "Buffy we need to leave this place. It's time to come home."

Buffy answered, "All these faces look the same."

The little girl in black screamed, "MOMMY!"

Buffy turned around and saw the two little girls sitting on a lion. The lion was laying down chewing on a piece of meat. Buffy ran to the girls.

Riley explained, "You have been in a coma for two weeks Buffy, you need to come with me before the door closes and we're both trapped in here."

Fear filled the Slayer, "Get down from there. He is too dangerous for you girls to play with."

She studied the lion closely for a moment and realized what the lion was eating.

"No! Faith….. Girls get down from there now!" Faith's cold dead eyes stared at Buffy as the lion consumed her.

The mother of Slayers shouted, "What are you doin' here?" She was yelling from behind Buffy causing her to turn around.

Buffy raged, "You did this!"

The Mother of Slayers glared, "You did dis! You shoulda died. I have given ya many chances to die, yet ya live."

Buffy complained, "I don't want to die. There must have been a reason for me to live or else the powers that be would have done a better job of killing me."

The Mother of Slayers glared angrily, "Yes to destroy my other daughters. Selfish little girl don't know when to die."

Buffy nodded, "Fine, it's my fault, take me instead, bring the others back."

The Mother of Slayers explained, "Not dat simple. Fix this mess."

The Mother of Slayers walked over to the little girls and picked them up.

Buffy roared, "Leave them alone. Take me instead."

The little girl in black smiled, "Don't worry Mommy, we will see you again."

The little girl in white requested, "Tell Daddy we love him very much. Goodbye Mommy."

"BUFFY!" Riley grabbed her arm.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Buffy pushed him through the open door. She sat down and watched the lion tear apart Faith's flesh while her blood stained the dirt around her. "I'm sorry Faith. You could have been a good Slayer."

Willow came through the door and stepped over the rotting bodies and sat beside Buffy. "Buffy you need to come with me."

"She took my daughters." Buffy replied.

"Yea, Riley said something about that but we need to go." Willow agreed.

Buffy supplied, "Because of me, all these people are dead."

Willow looked unsure, "Kinda but you know we can fix it."

Buffy turned to look at Willow, "How?"

"We need to leave this place first." Willow got up and offered her hand. Buffy took it as Willow guided her through the door.

Buffy's eyes shot open.


	6. In the Shadows

Don't own BTVS

In the Shadows

Chapter six

Ben, an intern for Sunnydale Memorial Hospital, waited for Spike in the morgue. Every week since the Initiative's shut down, Spike would buy two grocery bags worth of blood, off of the graduate student. Ben had been able to make a boat load of money off the many castrated demons that the Initiative left behind. However, the young capitalist noticed his profits dropping off for the last couple of weeks. Moreover, the vibe of Sunnydale had changed into something darker; his shifts at the hospital had become longer and filled with more dead bodies.

The intern watched for any unexpected movements from any of the three bodies left in the morgue. For safety reasons the hospital staff has been incinerating any unclaimed bodies after their autopsy. Much to Ben's dismay that meant the three corpses in front of him had been claimed, just not picked up yet. Too focused on the unmoving bodies, Ben hadn't noticed his client drop down, from one of the windows in the morgue.

Spike decided to have some fun with the boy who had not noticed his arrival. All Spike had to do was snarl his greetings to the intern before earning a girlish scream from the whelp. Spike let out a low chuckled, as Ben turned to face the vampire. "Got the cash," Ben frowned.

"Getting thin skin, Benny boy." Spike remarked as he handed over the large wad of bills, courtesy of Hank Summers.

Still pouting Ben refused to answer; instead he counted up the cash making sure the vampire didn't short-change him. Finding the money all there he gave up the blood. As Spike left Ben called after him, "You're gonna have to find a new blood guy."

Spike was wondering when that was going to happen. The Hellmouth had been turned upside down, since the Slayer lost her spark. Demons that normally were too cowardly to attack humans on the Hellmouth now killed during the day. No longer could the town's people deny the strangeness of their town. They were left with two options flee or fight leaving the population of Sunnydale weaker by half.

In an effort to protect the withering human population of Sunnydale, the Slayer tried to kill off a leader of a vampire gang. The gang had been terrified of her only a few weeks ago. They were willing to play by any rules the Slayer set down if it kept them alive, but now the gang openly mocked her, by killing people and leaving their bodies on her front lawn. Each body seemed to scream your next as the Slayer called for their removal. Tired of waiting for a direct attack the Slayer went to them, nearly getting herself killed.

Spike was certain the only reason she survived the last three weeks was because of her wit and dumb luck. However, tonight both seem to fail her. When Spike found her in Restville cemetery; she was fighting a low level demon. The Slayer was still mesmerizing to watch, Spike thought as Buffy barely dodged a hit. Waiting for the right moment to jump in Spike placed the bags down. Buffy had been pinned to a tomb by a horned beast. The beast was about to rip off her head when Spike stabbed it through the heart with a silver dagger causing the beast to melt; leaving the Slayer to fall to the ground.

Spike scolded, "Do you have a death wish Slayer?"

Buffy whined, "What the hell happened?"

Spike growled, "You almost died. What the hell are you doing out here all alone?"

Buffy kicked the dirt, "No, this isn't right!" Tears were falling from her green eyes now.

Spike asked, "What?"

Buffy started walking her normal route crying. Buffy reminisced, "There was a time where killing a demon like that would have been a slow night for me. Now, I need my mortal enemy to save my life. What is the world coming to?"

Spike pointed out, "Yes welcome to my world pet. It used to be that I could kill blokes like Captain Card Board and the whelp in my sleep and now it causes me great pain." Buffy stopped for a moment and looked at Spike. Spike reminded her, "What, I am evil after all?" Buffy hugged him. Spike shifted away from the Slayer, "Are you having a mental break down or something because the last time you acted all wonky the first Slayer tried to kill me."

Buffy stared into his icy eyes never realizing how beautiful they were until now, "I'm sorry. Last year I mocked you and... And I didn't realize or care that the Initiative put a chip in your brain that altered a part of you. I mean sure, it's a bad thing and you shouldn't kill anyone, but that's a part of your nature and now that you can't do it must have left you feeling empty and alone. I mean look at us Spike, I am supposed to be the Slayer, the girl that fights the darkness and you're supposed to be the big bad that tries to kill me. Now you can't hurt humans and I can't take out fledglings. This is just wrong on so many levels." She wiped away the tears from her eyes, looking at Spike more critically. _Spike has been acting as out of character as me. He has been helping with the first Slayer, then with that vampire gang and now with that demon. Why?_ Her mind was filled with questions. She found herself finishing her ramblings with an accusation toward Spike, "And then there's you! You're acting weird. You are actually helping me. Why?"

Spike picked up the bags not wishing to examine his actions past the removal of the chip. Hank had been a man of his word, removing the chip without any problems. Yet Spike couldn't bring himself to kill anyone; every time he tried he would see Buffy's disapproving eyes scolding him like a child, so he kept on taking bagged blood.

Spike chided, "Most people say 'thanks for your help, how may, I ever repay such a dashing vampire'."

"Well maybe if you weren't evil. I would." Buffy sneered.

"Whatever, Slayer." Spike rolls his eyes, storming away in the process.

"No, you get back here right now. We're not finished." Buffy yelled.

Spike stopped, put down his bags, before stepping closer to the Slayer, "What do you want?"

Buffy punched him in his nose, "Why, are you acting weird?"

Spike grabbed his nose doubling back, "Why are you a crazy bint?" Buffy hit him again this time in the stomach. "What in the bloody hell was that for?" Spike groaned.

"You. You saved me from the first Slayer. You've been patrolling around my house. You told Willow where Faith was without asking for anything in return." Putting her hand on her hips Buffy added, "And if that wasn't weird enough you've been forth coming with any information that I might need. What's the fucking deal? The con?"

"The deal?" Spike repeated.

"Spike, stop avoiding the question," Buffy glared.

"Maybe I just feel sorry for you." Spike answered, before smirking and leaning into Buffy's ear. Allowing himself to inhale the strawberry shampoo and something else that was undeniably Buffy. Spike whispered almost like a purr, "Or maybe I'm just bored." Buffy moved to slap him but Spike grabbed her arm a little harder than needed. She tried to break away from his grasp but he was too strong. _Kill her and be free, _Spike's demon roared. Listening to the voice for a second Spike's hand clutched around her throat, in one quick motion the Slayer could be dead. Spike's angelic face shifts into his gnarled demonic mask.

Buffy stared into his golden eyes refusing to scream. She made no move of resistance, as if she is ready for death. "Go on. Do it." A small sad smile plays on her face as she waits for Spike to drain her. Spike releases the Slayers throat from his grasp; only to pull her tiny body closer to his own before devouring her mouth in a kiss. For a second Buffy is lost in the moment enjoying herself, as she finds herself deepening the kiss.

Desperately Spike's hands roamed over her body, enjoying her soft curves and warmth more than he would think possible. Spike unzipped Buffy's jeans ready to plunge inside of her. When Buffy whimpered, "No", Spike could smell how much she wanted him; yet her tiny hands pushed at him to get away. Unable to harm her, Spike released her.


	7. Blowing Snow

Don't own BTVS

**Blowing Snow**

Chapter seven

A flurry of white fluffy powder ran up Hank's nose. He lay back, burrowing in the leather office chair waiting for the jolt of electricity to pull him into reality. For a second, Hank closed his eyes absently wrapping his long, slender fingers in a mop of curly red hair; that was bobbing in between his legs. The girl currently servicing Hank was barely legal with legs going on for days and a mouth like a Hoover vacuum. Feeling the familiar breathlessness that accompany the jolt of pleasure that came from the working girl's talented tongue; Hank sucked in a breath giving himself over to pleasure. She could taste the bitter tang of Hank's cum pouring down her throat. Nearly gagging the girl, Hank pushed his cock deeper down her throat as he erupted.

He was unable to bathe in the after-glow of his conquest; the steel doors of Hank's office swung open revealing an enraged Spike holding a briefcase in one hand while the other held a dripping head of a gargoyles head. Spike stormed deeper into the office leaving a trail of green blood behind him

Hank groaned at the punk rock vampire as he removed his softened cock from the young lady's mouth. "Well Masha, my five o'clock is here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Hank explained to the girl as he zipped up his suit pants.

The girl got to her feet as she adjusted her Catholic School girl costume, "Hank, of course. Same time tomorrow?" She smoothed down her hair, before retrieving the red lip gloss from her pocket in her skirt. Freshening up her lip stick; she shot a teasing smile toward the vampire.

"No, I am afraid I have to cancel, I have another engagement with the ex-wife and my daughters." Hank answered.

"Oh drat, however will I fill this opening?" Masha mocked, before, sauntering over to Spike and slipping a business card into his pants pocket, "Call me," she flirted.

"Payment's with Ann up front, Young lady," Hank faking jealousy. Once the girl had cleared off from the room Hank turned to Spike, "All you had to do is hand the briefcase to Mr. Mulls. What could've possibly provoked you to rip off Mr. Mulls' head?"

"He pissed me off." Spike tossed the head to the mahogany desk; inwardly recalling Mr. Mulls' accusations that William the Bloody lost his bite. "All you said was make sure he doesn't show up tonight. He's not going to show up anywhere now." Spike smirked, placing the briefcase on the desk as well.

"Did you fuck up anything else?" Hank sighed.

"Your daughter is a pain in the arse." Spike spat.

"What did you do?" Hank sighed. "You didn't kill her right?"

"Me I did nothing! She's the one who loves to play kick the Spike. Well now I kick back." Spike sneered at the memory of last night's encounter at the cemetery. He could still feel the warmth of the Slayer's body and taste the sweetness of her mouth. "Should've just killed the bitch."

Hank closed his eyes remembering Buffy, not as the warrior but as the little girl who use to watch Barney and fall asleep in his lap. "What does she know?" Hank growled. His job made it hard to be around Buffy, the senior partners didn't like his involvement with the Slayer so he had to cut ties with her. It had been with the strictest understanding the Slayer was not long for this world that Hank was permitted to spend time with his daughter.

"She knows I'm not fangless anymore." The demon's blood lust roared at Spike for not taking his opportunity. _She had been begging for it. Why did I fucking let her go! Now her and her little friends are going to try to put me out to pasture. _The thing is Buffy hadn't, a whole twenty four hours past and she had made no move against Spike.

Hank closed his hazel eyes, calculating the odds of his daughter trying to kill his newest lackey, "Okay, so she doesn't have that Slayer spark right... no magical solutions yet?"

Spike lit a cigarette trying to hide his worry for the Slayer, "Yeah and it's drivin' her batty. She almost offed herself last night using a Cheweo Demon."

Hank nodded, "Okay you need to talk to her."

Spike nearly dropped his cigarette, "Bugger that, the Slayer and her groupies will off me before I say the first syllable!"

Hank shakes his head. "Clearly she hasn't tried to kill you yet."

Spike puffs out a line of smoke, "Yeah because the bint isn't stupid. She's waiting for the right time."

Hank comforts the vampire, "Your right Spike, Buffy's not stupid. She's not going to kill you because she can't right now. She just doesn't have the man power. Hell, most likely she kept her mouth shut about the whole chip thing so none of her friends did anything stupid." Hank snorted another line of cocaine, this time feeling instantly energized. "If she did tell anyone it would be Angel but seeing how he's not here with a piece of pointy wood I think you're safe." Hank thinks about taking another hit but instead offers some to Spike.

Spike shook his head, "No, I get all blood thirsty on it. Anything else I need to do before I go talk to the Slayer?"

Hank's eyes were blood shot, "Did my holy man arrive yet?"

"Yep, hanging in your basement," Spike explained before adding. "Oh yeah, the future Mrs. Summers said to stop bringing your work home."

"


	8. The Big Six

Don't own BTVS

**The Big Six**

Chapter eight

The Council of Demonic and Supernatural Affairs (CDSA) needed to come to an agreement on the matter regarding the Slayer's life. The CDSA was made up of six families: Fae, Mystics, Skin Changers, Vampires, Banshees and Gargoyles. These six families were representing the thousands of species of demons and supernatural that walked the world. The CDSA only came together on matters that affected both of their worlds. Tonight they met on the Hellmouth in a vineyard that was slowly being swallowed up by the earth. The mediator of the CDSA, Wolfram and Hart, picked the location because of the old magic that lived in the walls of the vineyard. Before the vineyard had fallen in to disrepair it had been a sanctuary of sorts. The sanctuary followed the hospitality laws of the old gods. The laws stated that any creature that dined underneath the sanctuary's roof may not come to any harm; as long as it remained on the sanctuary grounds.

The representative from Wolfram and Hart, Hank Summers, had setup a make shift conference room in one of the larger wine cellars. One by one, the members of the CDSA filed into the cellars sitting at a table made out of stone, except for one, a Gargoyle called Sammual Mulls. One of the members of the CDSA, Lore, a blue skinned hermaphrodite, that led the banshees, demanded for the CDSA to wait for Mull's arrival. When no one else agreed with him, Hank started the meeting by giving each member a bit of bread and a sip of wine to activate the sanctuary's magic.

Lore started the debate, "We have come here today to discuss the ending of an era. After this last Slayer dies, no more will rise to challenge us, so the question is simple, do we want to speed up the process of her death? Right now she is weak and it would take little energy to rid ourselves of this enemy. My only question to my brave Lords and Ladies is why has this not happened yet?" Cheering Lore on was a short but muscular Skin Changer and a vampire that looked like he would be more at home on Wall Street than a graveyard.

On the other side of the argument was Ella a sky Fae who seemed to be an enchantress that stepped out of a fairytale. Ella addressed the CDSA like a queen to her court, "Lore is a relic of the past. His whole race are creatures of war and destruction with no real power in this new world. Why should we listen to him? Killing the Slayer would throw our world out of whack and will destroy everything. Right now we can live in riches on the back of mankind. Why should we ruin this for ourselves? If anything we should help the Slayer for a price." One cheer came from a Mystic but other than that the room fell quiet.

Lore scoffed, "You should not even be here. You're a fairy and have no place in this world."

Ella spoke over him, "My kingdom is richer and stronger than yours, if anyone should not be here it is you."

The Vampire Russell Edgington spoke in a thick southern drawl that postdated his turning, "Silence, both of you. I agree with Lore that we need to destroy our enemy while she is weak. Pretty soon she will find a way to reclaim her birth right and set the balance back to normal. We have a once in a lifetime chance to fix things in our favor. Why waste it?"

Ella tried to explain, without sounding like a human sympathizer, "The balance protects us all, without it we would be destroyed."

Lore answers, "What do we care of the balance? Fuck the balance! What has it ever given us? We have hidden away in holes while the Slayer hunts our kind like dogs. We are better than the humans in every way and yet we live under them. How is that right?"

Darla, swollen with child and previously unnoticed, started to clap sardonically. She smirked to her grandchild, "Dru look, the party started without us. How rude!"

Drusilla floats around the cellar listening to the whispering stars. She answers Darla with a Cheshire grin, "Yes grand-mamma, very rude, indeed."

Lore whines, "We have enough half-bloods and parasites here without adding more to the list."

Hank Summers finally weighs in, "Ladies, please, this meeting is for CDSA members only. If you have opinions in this matter you must take it up with the local Vampire Sheriff of your area."

Darla sneers at the CDSA, "Vampire Sheriff? I'm the fucking master of Aurailen! I don't report to any of the Lithian of the Vampire Authority."

"Darling I think your brief stint with death made you forget a few things, like who won the FUCKIN war." Russell mocks.

Darla, readying a reply, was cut off by the Skin Changer. The Skin Changer glares, "Look at the little slut standing here, fat with child yet not afraid that we will cut the abomination out of her."

"Oh please do. I have been trying since I found out." Darla shot back before explaining her appearance at the CDSA, "Drusilla and I have not come here to talk about my child or bring up old wounds; we have come to you with information."

Ella attempts to shoo them away, "There are more than enough vampires here; can we please, just stake them and be done with it. I'm sure the sanctuary's magic doesn't apply to them."

Russell stops Ella from making a move on the two vampires, "Despite the bad blood between my clan and hers; they are still vampires and are thereby under my protection, so threatening them is like threatening me." His long fangs promised a quick death to the Fae.

The mystic nods, trying to pull the debate back to its point, "Go on my dears. Your maker was once a good friend to me. I promised to keep an eye on his children so you will not be harmed here. So tell us of the future comings."

Darla turns to Drusilla, "Go on Dru baby; tell them what you told me."

Drusilla closed her eyes:

"Shadows dance high above

Devouring Sunshine's only light

Leaving monsters night"

Drusilla opens her eyes again shocked at the stars:

"Only night says goodbye

When fire and blood stains little Alice

Quickly power comes"

Tears fall down Drusilla's cheek, "Alice has stolen my white rabbit."

Annoyance slips into Darla's voice "No, the other thing."

Wiping away the tears Drusilla nods, "Stars whisper in my head, they tell me the Slayer will grow old but never age."

Ella sighs, "I don't care what some madwoman has to say. You have the Fae vote we will not murder the Slayer." Ella left the winery.

Russell growls, "Translate her ramblings Darla before the lords and ladies grow tired of this folly."

Darla smiles, "It's simple really. According to Dru somehow the Slayer will be turned and the only thing worse than a Slayer is one batting for the other team. So I am here to warn you all leave the Slayer alone."

Lore shouts, "This is nonsense we can kill the Slayer before it happens."

Dru shakes her head, "Silly little man-woman beast, you will fail."

The mystic smiles gently at the girls, "Leave us my dears and we will talk over everything you have told us."


	9. Trolls

Don't own BTVS

**Troll**

Chapter nine

The trip from London had been tiresome for Rupert Giles but he could not rest. He needed to find Buffy, so his first stop on the trail was the Slayers house. Giles approached the Suburban home, weary of the news the council had given him. If the gods were good Joyce wouldn't be around for this conversation. Only the gods were not good, he knocked on the red door to reveal Joyce. Every time Giles saw her it was like the first time. He would notice the small things about her like the soft curve of her face or the plumpness of her lips. Every line or small imperfection seemed to make Joyce lovelier in Giles' eyes.

Joyce greeted Giles with every bit of grace she could muster for the watcher. Most of the time she unwittingly blamed Giles for the danger her daughter was always in. Nevertheless she wordlessly invited Giles into her home. "I'm afraid Buffy isn't here."

Giles inwardly groaned, "Yes, well do you know where I can find her?" He shifted uncomfortably as Joyce politely explained that she was with her father at a bridal store on Main Street. Giles quickly drove downtown nearly hitting a troll, who was drinking a keg. /I was only gone for three weeks\, Giles whined inwardly, as he spotted Xander and Riley chasing after the troll. Giles honked his horn as the pair tried to run past.

"Hey, look its Giles." Xander cried with joy.

"That's great, but we have a troll to catch thanks to Willow and Anya." Riley agreed, focusing all his energy on the troll.

"It's only been three bloody weeks." Giles cursed.

"Bloody, is correct. It's been a blood bath since you left." Riley explained. "We can catch up later, but I have a unit heading off an angry Troll at the magic shop" A brilliant plan formed into Riley's head as he looked at Xander, "Xander, why don't you explain what's going on to Giles and meet the unit at the Magic shop."

"Got it. G-man let's go." Xander hopped into the car. Giles too tired to fight with the boy sped to the Magic shop.

When Giles and Xander arrived they found some poor man with his head ripped off and Buffy dangling upside down in the troll's grasp. All the while Anya and Willow were chanting. The troll slung Buffy into a book case; choosing to go after Willow instead. The troll never made it to the witch – instead he vanished into smoke.

"You did it." Anya shouted. "Good, I thought for sure we were all going to die. I take back all the times I said to Xander you were incompetent."

"You said that I'm incompetent." Willow's flash of anger had been shot toward Xander.

"No. I never said those exact words." Xander changing the subject, "Hey look Giles is back."

Buffy groaned picking herself up to see the watcher, "Giles?"

Soon Riley appeared with soldiers on his heels. "Where's the troll?"

"I think I sent him to a troll dimension." Willow explained.

"What happened to this poor bastard?" One of the soldiers asked, tapping the head of the shop keeper with his foot.

"Troll." Anya explained.

"Oh." The soldier replied. He looked toward Riley already making calls to his commanding officers.

Riley hung up the phone and spouted out orders to the six soldiers in his command. Before he turned to his girlfriend and her friends he said, "Okay, we will need you all to clear the area." Riley guided the group out of the magic shop.

The group went to Giles' apartment, despite all his protesting. Giles did not want to have a group meeting about the information he had gained during his trip. The missing piece of Tatamy's work should have been for Buffy's ears alone. However, he was unable to get the other children out of his flat so he could explain the council's findings to just Buffy.

Giles tiredly found himself saying, "It's great seeing all you, but I must speak to Buffy alone."

Buffy kept her voice light, "You found something, great because this being the last Slayer thing isn't working for me."

Willow seemingly ignored Giles' previous request, "This is great, what's the deal?"

Yawning before frowning, Giles urged, "Buffy this matter would be better discussed alone."

The curiosity of the group was far too high to get rid of them. The watcher looked once more to Buffy whose worry was hardening her features. She tried to keep it down, forcing her voice to be light, "What's the sitch, am I going to die or something?"

Giles recalled the past few days, "Well Wesley actually found it. It's the original copy of Tatamay's prophecy. You see Tatamay's books were destroyed when he was executed by the early watchers council in ancient Greece. However, his students tried to save some of his more important works and the ones they could not save they tried to recreate. Tatamay had secrets that his students did not know, so the copies are incomplete such as the copy that is in the Book of Slayers. There is actually a whole section of information left out of it which can be found in this manuscript. I was able to translate it, however, getting the Slayer line back is going to be more complicated than we originally thought."

Buffy wanted to skip the lecture, "I don't care; what do I need to do."

Giles cleaned his glasses, "This is where it gets complicated." He placed his glasses back on. "There is a ritual you have to do and it involves ancient and dark blood magic."

"So what does Buffy have to do? Fire up some candles and make with the goat slaughtering?" Xander joked.

"Not quite as wholesome, I'm afraid." Giles sighed restarting his lecture; desperately trying to intellectualize the conversation as much as possible, "Well you see the shaman who created the ritual had forced his bravest daughter to retrieve and eat a dragon's heart. Taking away all her worldly possessions, the shaman painted her in human blood and left her chained to a rock far from their village; so the old gods may know her and judge her worthiness. Roughly thirty days later, the shaman returned for his daughter finding her fat with child. The mother would die and the child, a girl, would become the first Slayer."

"What the hell?" Riley fumed with self righteous indignation.

Anya shrugged, "I thought it was clear. Buffy has to do a bunch of gross things so she can be chained to a rock, so a demon or spirit can have sex with her." Anya shakes her head, "They really should change the term blood ritual to demon porn. I mean, it's pretty much the same thing. Some poor girl, normally pretty and a virgin, has to be covered in fluids and eat something gross; before being chained to a phallic object and raped by some male." She grew bored of pointing out the truth but felt the need to add, "What's really fucked up is the girls nearly always end up dead."

Riley hissed, "Shut up. That can't be right."

Giles cleaned his glasses, "Anya is right; this story indicates what many scholars had believed to be true about the first Slayer. You see, some Watchers believed the first council asked their gods for a warrior that would protect the innocent. So, the Goddess of Light answered them, by sending their strongest female warrior on a quest to get some object that would allow her to mate with a spirit. Tatamay is merely confirming that belief. However, there is still much debate on whether it is a spirit or some powerful demon."

Xander stared at Giles like he grew a second head, "You can't actually be saying that Buffy has to give birth to some creepy half human, half demon child. That is just sick and wrong."

Anya outraged spat, "So it's sick to have children with me."

Xander eyes grew in horror, "I didn't mean you."

Anya was tearing up at this point, "I was a demon for most of my life Xander. There are still parts of me that are demonic. So if it is sick and wrong to have demon children, then you think it's sick and wrong to have them with me."

Xander protested, "Oh god, no honey, I love every part of you and if we were to have children there would be no parts that would be wrong and besides that is light-years down the road for us."

Anya smiled, "You think about this sort of stuff?"

Xander started but never finish, "Well…"

Anya started kissing him, "You will be having lots of sex tonight"

Riley grumbled, "Back to our original point. Buffy can't do this."

Giles explained, "All our other resources have turned up nothing so if we wish to have another Slayer then yes, she does have to do this."

Willow looked at Buffy seeing only a mask of no emotions. Willow did her best to comfort her best friend, "The books aren't clear right? We don't know if it's some type of spirit or demon. What if it's neither, what if it's the champion for the powers that be, you know Angel."

Riley roared, "We can't let her do this! This is wrong on all levels. We just have to look harder!"

Tara stammered, "Hmmm well th, th, this isn't our, our decision. It's Buffy's."

The room grew silent as everyone looked at Buffy. For a second Buffy hated the good witch. Moments ago she had been about to slip out unnoticed then Tara open her mouth. Buffy tried to find a lie to get out of the apartment, "Yeah, hmm I have to go."

Giles made to stop her, "You need to make a decision now. We don't have much time. The demons want you dead."

Buffy shook her head, "I don't know. They have failed so many times, maybe they'll give up and I will get to be a normal girl again." Her voice almost cracked, "I can't do this, right now…. Giles, I just need some time to process all this."

Giles sighed, "Okay, but please a decision needs to be made soon."

Riley followed, "I'll come with you."

Buffy didn't turn around, "I really need to be alone right now."


	10. Fish Face

Don't Own BTVS

**Monsters under the Bed**

Part two

**The Graveyard**

Chapter ten

Buffy wandered around Sunnydale until nightfall, where she found herself outside the Restville Cemetery. She looked longingly from the rod-iron gates, trying to remember the thrill of chasing down the big bads. It had only been a month but it felt like years since she had played with death freely. She had flirted with it every night and wondered if tonight would be the night it claimed her for its own, which is what made the job fun. Never truly knowing when death would claim her or who it would use for the job. When she found herself thinking like this it reminded her of the times she would battle Spike, because, for her, Spike was the face of Death and that comforted her in a strange way. She didn't want to go out in a blaze of glory. She just wanted to die, in one simple fight, against a vampire like Spike in some random Cemetery.

Buffy's mind raced. It was easy to see why Faith jumped off the deep end. It's hard not to throw yourself into the darkness. Unthinkingly, she stepped into the Cemetery. _I think if I had to kill an innocent in order to retrieve my slayer powers I would. There must always be a slayer in order to keep the balance safe._ She started to follow her normal route. During her journey she came across three male vampires attacking a woman. "HEY! Why snack on her when you can take the last slayer?" Buffy yelled, causing the three vampires to look at Buffy and dropped the woman.

Vampire number one smirked, "Sam, this cannot be real." He seemed pleased with himself for finding the Slayer and didn't want her to get away.

Buffy chuckled, "Let's see if any of you are man enough to take me."

Vampire number two laughed evilly, "This is going to be fun."

The third launched at her but she moved quickly, leaping off to the side while the other two attempted to surround her. Buffy planned, _Okay first, stake the small one in front of me; then run, leading the other two into a circle and jump the weaker one to stake him and hope the last one flees._ This would have been a great plan if she was still super strong; however, when she kicked the third vampire and knocked him to the ground, she was unable to stake him before the first vampire grabbed her by the neck.

Vampire number two mocked, "I thought slayers were supposed to be all big and bad asses but no, it seems like you're just a little girl with a piece of wood. I wonder if your blood is just as disappointing." The vampire looked thoughtful, but kept his eyes on Buffy.

Spike had been watching from the shadows for the last ten minutes and wondered if he would need to intervene at any point. Much to his dismay, he was going to need to.

"Too bad you're not going to find out." Spike sneered as he staked the second vampire and the third ran as the first one dropped Buffy. She fell to the ground ungracefully. She picked herself up and stared after the fleeing vampires.

Turning to her savior Buffy couldn't help but feel guilty. Not for the first time, since Buffy found out the chip had stopped working did she wonder, who he killed that night. She failed to tell any one of the chip's malfunction, instead she made a deal with the vampire. The night Spike showed up at her door step, looking to make a deal, Buffy had wordlessly let him into her home. Dawn and Joyce were out of town so the slayer didn't have to worry about any casualties. She guided him into the living room, "What is this Spike? You're off your leash and you haven't made a move." Buffy demanded, pursing her lips and unintentionally tempting the vampire in front of her.

Spike nodded, trying to block all thoughts of Buffy's soft pink lips out of his mind. "Neither have you," The vampire pointed out.

At the time Buffy hadn't examined her silence, "Didn't want them to worry." It was an honest answer.

Every time Buffy was on patrol Riley and the gang had been with her. If she told anyone about Spike, she would have to confess she was out there alone. That would lead to concern. Concern will turn into questions. And then I'll have to come up with clever lies about Spike and me. Me and Spike… whatever we are, it is a whole mess of strangling and kissing. A blush stained Buffy's cheeks as remember how good his lips felt massaging hers.

A strong British accent cut through her thoughts. Spike seemed to study her like a painting, "About your death wish or about me?" He remember those desperate word she whispered, /Go on. Do it\ before he had given into his desire to kiss her.

Stubbornly, Buffy claimed, "I don't have a death wish."

Spike laughed, "Love, sayin' you don't have a death wish, is like sayin' Peaches ain't a broody git."

Nearly growling at Spike, Buffy closed her eyes pinching the bridge of her nose, "Are you going to start trouble in my town or not? Because I have more than enough to worry about with Riley's army pals being back in town and you know just being Buffy the sparkles slayer."

Spike's eyes widened and his mouth dropped, "The Initiative is back."

Seeing the look of panic in Spike's face, Buffy found herself comforting the vampire, "Just the commandos, the scientist guys are long gone."

He could see the sympathy in her eyes, but it couldn't make him believe her words. Spike's voice jumped five octaves, "Yeah and I was sired yesterday!"

Buffy found herself wanting to pull him close and wipe away his panic. She refrained herself, choosing to remind him, "Even if the scientist guys are here; they're not going to bother you because of the chip." Spike gave her a look that screamed, 'you're an idiot' and she rolled her eyes at him. The chip was the reason they were even talking tonight. She explained calmly, "You can leave town... I'm not gonna tell anyone about the chip, right now." She regretted saying those words as soon as they left her mouth. Spike could kill me right now and no one would be the wiser.

He closed the gap between them, touching her face, "Is that what you want, love?"

His tender manner had her pondering the question, inhaling the smell of leather and second hand smoke that seemed to roll off of him. Surprisingly, Buffy found herself not wanting him to go. Yet she found herself saying, "It's whatever you want to do. I can't stop you."

"No, you can't." Spike conceded her point and daringly he kissed Buffy's pink lips that tasted like honeysuckle. Buffy broke the kiss and Spike knew he would stay, even if he was free from his contract with Hank. Even if Buffy re-chipped Spike herself; the vampire would not leave Sunnydale. Still, Spike found himself asking her, "If I stay, are you going to tell Capt. Cardboard and his little Avenger pals about the chip?"

Buffy would not tell anyone about the chip if he didn't kill anyone within the city limits. Now she looked at Spike, like the blood he drew was on her hands. "When did the world get so fucked up?" Buffy felt the bitterness in her own words.

"It's always been fucked up." He said, lighting a cigarette.

A long time passed before anyone said anything. Finally Buffy asked, "What did you have to do to get the chip out?"

Spike's cigarette nearly fell out of his mouth. As his eyes scanned the surroundings, half expecting to see men in army uniforms to jump from the sky and attack him, he said, louder than needed, "I don't know what you're going on about the chip works fine."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Fine. Hypothetically speaking if there was a way to get the chip out, but it was terribly demeaning and it went completely against your nature, would you do it?"

The couple walked side by side in the cemetery, as Spike puffed on his cigarette pondering, "How fucked up are we talkin' here? Is it like being forced to take Angelus' cock up the arse or saving the world with your mortal enemy? Cause I can tell you from personal experience, pet, neither are pleasant."

Buffy huffed, "Why do I bother talking to you?"

Spike laughed at his slayer's discomfort, "So what do you have to do to get the slayer spark back in action."

Buffy whined kicking a rock, "It's disgusting. The council wants me to eat some icky dragon's egg so they can chain me to a rock. All so some being from the powers can know me."

Clenching his jaw, Spike imagined Angel ripping open Buffy's tan legs, so he could thrust his pathetic penis inside her hot wet center Stabbing out his cigarette violently, Spike asked, "Know, in the biblical since of the word?" Spike furiously grabbed another cigarette flicking on his Zippo with all the grace of a walrus on land.

Weariness filled Buffy's body, "You know the council, all for the biblical translation of things. In fact I am certain the powers and the council love any translation that makes my life harder."

Spike took a drag on his cigarette, "So where are you gonna find a dragon's heart?" Buffy stormed back to her house with Spike on her heels. Coming to the house, the Slayer noticed that her front door was kicked in. She dashed away from Spike and entered the house, into the living room, where Buffy found her mother hanging limply from the claws of a fish-like demon, who had yellow scales and emerald green eyes. Buffy didn't even think. She leaped into action by picking up a broken lamp to use as a club and smash it against the demon's head.

"Let her go!" Buffy commanded. The demon flung Joyce into the kitchen as he jumped on to Buffy, his long claws aiming for her heart. Spike was able to break into the fight just before the creature impaled Buffy. The demon threw Spike out the window while Buffy ran upstairs to her weapons chest. She had just enough time to grab her crossbow and fire it into the demon's neck as he broke through the door. The demon was wounded, but still able to jump onto Buffy and pin her to the ground. It slashed her stomach, just as Spike managed to slip into the fight, unnoticed by both parties and slit the demon's throat before the he could finish Buffy off. The demon screamed an inhuman howl as it turned on Spike and threw him onto Buffy's bed. The demon staggered out of the house and wandered away.

Spike got up to check on Buffy, "Slayer, are you alright?"

Buffy tried to get back on her feet, "Check on my mom... I'm fine." She insisted.

But Spike growled, "You're not fine. You're bleeding fast. Lay down." He ordered.

Buffy squirmed, "No, no, my mom. She's hurt, please."

Spike pushed Buffy down and ripped off her shirt and pushed it against the bleeding wound.

Riley entered the house, quickly assessing the situation and shouted on Buffy, "Buffy? Joyce!"

He rushed to the kitchen and found Joyce unconscious. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed an old number, "This is Agent Finn, we have an emergency in 2131 Revello Drive there has been a possible HST attack with at least one woman injured. Please send a medical team." He hung up the phone and made his way upstairs. "Buffy!" He came into the room and found Buffy lying down on her bed alone with the window open.

Buffy answered, "Riley?"

Riley knelt at her side, "What happened? Are you hurt?" Riley looked at the wound, "It's not bad, maybe a little deep but you'll heal. Don't worry about your mom, she seemed fine and I called in some back up. They'll be here shortly to help you guys. They'll take you to the hospital." His worry was clear – it was written all over his face.

But Buffy whined, "I'm fine. I don't need to go to the hospital."

"I was just being reassuring when I said it's not that bad. You need to go to the hospital." Riley felt that his tone brooked no argument, but Buffy's face said otherwise.

"I can feel myself getting better already, just stitch me up. The bleeding stopped right?" was her reply.

Riley worriedly agreed, "Yeah, for the most part."

Buffy growled, "Then stitch me up. There is a first aid kit in the bathroom. It should have everything you need."

Riley looked at her for a second and upon realizing she wasn't giving in, closed his eyes and said "Fine."

Riley did as he was asked. Buffy struggled to her feet and grabbed a shirt as the commandos raided the house and took Joyce to the local hospital.

Graham raced into Buffy's room. "Is everything alright in here?" Graham asked.

Riley saluted, "Yes, soldier."

"We're taking Mrs. Summers to Sunnydale Memorial. She should be fine, Miss Summers." Graham explained.

"Thank you. We'll be over there soon." Buffy replied. Graham saluted and left. Buffy walked out of her room and down the stairs, clutching the rail for support as the commandos left the area. She made her way to the kitchen and dialed her father's number. It rang three times before he picked up.

Hank answered his phone, "Hello?"

"Hey dad, there's been a situation." Trying to down play the situation, she tried not to seem panicked.

"What happened?" Hank feigned concern.

"Mom got hurt during a break in and she is now in the hospital. I don't know how long she will be there or how bad she is hurt. I don't think Dawn should sleep here tonight... could she just stay over there?" Buffy didn't sound like a little girl anymore, she sounded calm, collected… _Adult_, Hank thought.

"Okay, what hospital is she at?" _I need to play along, act like I care, _Hank thought to himself.

"Sunnydale Memorial, I'm on my way there now." Buffy relayed, hanging up straight after.


	11. The Recipe for a Bad Day

Don't Own BTVS

**The Recipe for Getting Rid of a Bad Day**

Chapter Eleven

_The recipe for getting rid of a bad day; it starts off simple, with one bottle of vodka. However, when one is not available, the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that mom keeps in her bedroom closet will do. Yes, you will need to replace the Sauvignon Blanc before mom gets out of the hospital, but who knows when that is going to be. _Buffy hunted down a cork screw, popping the bottle open swiftly, before marching up the stairs to the bathroom. _Then you must drink directly from the bottle while filling the bathtub. Yes, some might argue and with merit, that it is trashy to drink wine directly from the bottle, while wearing a ratty old bathrobe. Personally I just like to see it as a return to my roots as a potential lush. Anyway, if the recipe is going well no one should be there to judge, because... you know fuck people_. Steaming water from the large tub seemed to promise Buffy a way to wash off the ick from the day. Once the tub was filled she quickly turned off the faucet. Removing the grey rag of a robe that clung to the subtle curves of Buffy's perky breasts and lean hips she dipped herself in the water.

For a second, all was right with the world. The warm water embraced Buffy like a mother's hug, while the wine made her feel light and airy for the first time since she lost her spark. She'd been soaking for a good ten minutes when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Buffy got out of the tub before she fished her robe from the floor_. This better be important. _She barely had enough time to wrap herself in the robe when bathroom door swung open to reveal Riley. _I could have sworn he agreed to leave me alone._

Buffy closed her robe tightly, "Riley, what are you doing here? I thought you were going back to your apartment?"

Riley puffed himself up, "After what happened to you today, I couldn't let you sleep alone here."

"That is so sweet but I am fine, really. Xander fixed the door and Willow and Tara put a charm on the house while we were at the hospital."

Buffy was trying to get him to leave, but Riley refused to back down, "It's more than that though. You have been pulling away ever since you lost your slayer powers. This Tatamay thing, we need to talk about it."

She could sense his frustration and Buffy closed her eyes trying to gain some sanity, "I have not been pulling away and did I ask for the Tatamay thing? There is nothing that we need to discuss. Now, if you could please leave, that would be great." She stared him down, willing him to leave. She really wished she was at full strength.

Riley's voice dropped lower, "Fine, after you answer this. Is there nothing we need to discuss because you're not going to do it or is there nothing to discuss because you are going to do it?"

She could see he was angry, but it wasn't his choice to make. _It's down to me. It's what I decide. As always, the fate of the world rests on my shoulders._ "What do you think?" She countered, and stormed out of the bathroom, giving up on her plan of relaxing and walked into her bedroom.

While Riley followed, refusing to take that for an answer, "What I think is that I don't like the idea of my girl sexing up her ex for some demeaning ritual." His eyes were begging her for an answer, a real answer.

Buffy glared at him, "Then what else can I do? I can't stop being the slayer." Her tone was firm and as defeated as she may have felt, she didn't let it show.

Riley grabbed her arm and pulled her close, "That is bullshit. You were trained to be the slayer. You were not born that way and now you get to retire. So let it go."

Buffy could see his anger and didn't want to fight him, not while she was still under par. Buffy tried to twist away, "Riley let me go. I am not in the mood for this."

Riley seemed to squeeze harder every time Buffy pulled away. Everything had changed so quickly, it had gone from a simple argument to frantic kicking and punching. Buffy was sloppy due to the stabbing from earlier that day and it was slowing her down, giving Riley an unneeded edge. Soon, he had her hands strung-up with his belt and her robe open. "I saw you with Spike... You kissed him." Heartbreak stained Riley's voice, "I love you so much. You never wanted me." He pinned Buffy down using his full 175 pound of muscle, to restrict Buffy's movements.

Riley was ogling her body, greedily kissing one of her small breasts. She kneed him in the groin. Riley groaned in pain but didn't let go. Instead he slapped her across the face with his free hand. Buffy begged as she saw that Riley's eyes were more pupil than brown iris, "Riley look at what you're doing. You're not that guy… just... let me go." _The Initiative must have given him something_.

Riley plunged his cock inside Buffy, relishing how she felt around him, before he whined. "I love you. Why don't you love me?" He pulled Buffy closer and kissed her neck; feeling an almost manic need to fill her up with his cock.

Buffy started to cry, "Don't do this, please." She squirmed underneath Riley finally getting one hand free. Buffy reached for her knife on the nightstand but he grabbed her arm.

Allowing himself to pull out of her for a second, Riley stared down at her with disgust; shaking his head he whispered, "You never loved me." He slapped her as hard as he could, filling her mouth with blood. In an act of wordless defiance Buffy spat blood on him. Enraged, Riley slammed Buffy to the floor kicking her in the stomach.

Before Buffy could stagger to her feet, Riley had her pinned down again thrusting his cock inside her, desperately trying to reach his orgasm. Seconds before he reached his bliss, however, a cold dead hand locked around his throat ripping him away from Buffy. In a half dazed glance Buffy saw a flash of white and black tossing Riley from her window.


	12. Hospital Dreams

Don't own BTVS

**Hospital Dreams**

Chapter Twelve

The door opened to Spike's crypt letting in a flash of sunlight and a petite shadow. Stalking to the lower level of the crypt the little shadow found its prey. A whiskey soaked Spike sprawled out on a king sized bed that was dumped unceremoniously on a dirt floor. The shadow loomed over the vampire poised to attack. Spike rolled to his side, facing the shadow, letting the thin white sheet covering his smooth skin, fall off him.

The vampire's eyes flickered open revealing the shadow as Buffy. Unworried about the vampire slayer, Spike wrangled a cigarette and lighter from his pants pocket, "So this is how I am repaid for doing a favor for the slayer."

Buffy's voice came out as little more than a squeak, "Where is he?"

He got off the bed wearing nothing but his trademark smirk, "Where's who?"

Her voice became more firm as she took two steps to him, "You killed him?" She questioned.

Spike closed the gap between them, "Now why do you think I killed the bloke?"

She gripped her stake a little harder, aiming for his heart, "Because you did!"

Spike sauntered closer to her, inhaling the sweet scent of strawberry shampoo as he brushed a piece of hair from her face, "Maybe I did. Or maybe he choked on his own stupidity." He spoke softly, but Buffy wouldn't stand for Spike killing people any longer if she could help it.

Buffy snarled, "I should stake you!"

Spike shook his head sadly, "Do it then! End my torment. Seeing you, every day, everywhere I go, every time I turn around. Take me out of a world that has you in it. Kill me!" He was begging now.

She dropped the stake as the smell of fresh blood started to fill the crypt. Buffy held her stomach as she started hemorrhaging blood, "Will this ever stop?"

Spike pulled her close and kissed her trying to make everything go away, "Don't think of him anymore. Buffy, I love you. God, I love you so much."

His eyes shot open and he was in the hospital waiting room with the rest of the Scoobies.

Spike was reliving his dream, "Oh, God no... Please no." He raced from his chair.

Tara watched the vampire storm from his seat, "That's odd." She remarked. Willow tapped her fingers nervously hoping her friend would be fine.

She turned her attention to Tara, "What's odd baby?" She asked, concern lacing her voice.

Tara pointed out, "Spike. One minute he's asleep and then the next he mutters something before running for the hills."

Willow thought that she looked worried, which struck her as strange. No one was ever concerned for Spike. Willow looked toward the exit, "Oh... I didn't even realize he was still here. He does seem grouchier than normal."

Xander started to ramble, "Does it really matter." He shot from his chair pacing wildly. "There are bigger things going on right now! And sometimes you just have to man up to things like this... Because life happens, there are risks to being in a relationship. And- and it's going to be okay." He was clearly panicked and Willow was starting to freak.

Willow stared at Xander, confused, "What are you talking about? Buffy got attacked by some demon and you're rambling about relationships. And God knows where Giles and Riley are right now and Spike is being weirdly helpful so I demand to know what is going on right now people!" Willow had that scary look in her eye, demanding answers.

Obviously Anya didn't get the message, "Oh don't mind Xander, he's just a little freaked out about possibly being a father." She bluntly stated.

"Anya! I thought we agreed not to tell anyone until we're sure." Cried Xander, mortified.

"No Xander, I am sure. You are the only one who is not sure." Anya fumed.

Awkwardness creeps into the waiting room as the couple start to argue. Looking at the couple, Willow and Tara decide that going after a possibly crazy vampire is better than being dragged into an Anya and Xander fight.

"Hmmm, I think I'm going to go check on Spike... He didn't look well." Tara said leaving her chair.

"I'll come with you." Willow following after.


	13. Amber Eyes

Don't own BTVS

**Amber Eyes**

Chapter Thirteen

Spike retreated to his crypt a few hours before sunrise. _Fuckin' Angelus and captain cardboard are makin' my unlife a bleedin' hell_. A week had come and gone since Angel's return to Sunnydale and Riley's mysterious disappearance. With Riley's disappearance the soldiers were patrolling extra hard around demon high areas. Much to Spike's dismay that meant he had to be extra careful not to pick a fight with any humans. _Fuckin Riley... he just couldn't let the Initiative die. Stupid git! Why didn't I rip out his throat again?_ Frustration seemed to build as he felt Darla and Drusilla in his crypt before seeing them in the shadows. _What did I do to piss off the powers that be?_

Spike pulled a cigarette from his jacket. "Not only is your skanky arse not dead, your fuckin' reproducin'," Spike sneered puffing on his cigarette, staring at the large baby bump. "Let me guess, it's Angelus' right? That poor child never had a hope of coming out right did it?" Sarcasm was always his default, especially when it came to his great-grand-sire.

Darla slapped him, "God William, could you be any more of a fucking douche? Wait, I think that is insulting to douches everywhere. No, you're a god damn pussy." Her fangs were out, ready for an attack.

Drusilla reminds Darla, "Grandmamma please, we mustn't kill the little white rabbit before he meets with Alice for tea."

Darla rolled her eyes and sighed, "Sadly, Dru here has a point. We need you to deliver a message to your slayer."

Spike denied Darla's request, "She's not my slayer mate, so if you have any messages for her why don't you send them to the Great Poof. He's in town you know." He simply stared at her, waiting for a reaction from one of them.

Drusilla explained, "The little tin soldier has blurred the mind of the king of hearts and now he no longer wishes to eat tarts with us." She had that dreamy look in her eyes, telling Spike that she was away with the fairies, as per usual.

He lit a cigarette, "So that's what happened to captain cardboard." He plopped down in his chair and grabbed the bottle of Jack Daniels.

"Look we have business at hand here. Angelus is too busy brooding over his little transgression to be of any help, so now we need the Slayer's other lapdog to send a message for us." Darla added, and Spike couldn't help but notice her biting tone. Darla handed over a blue folder to Spike.

He grabbed it reluctantly, before shooting an incredulous glance at Darla, "So you, Darla, physically saw Angelus and he is only brooding over captain cardboard, hmm?" He spoke to her as he would a child, just to annoy her.

She put her hands on her hips attempting to stare down her great grandson. Spike saw through her, making Darla blink first, "Well, physically saw might be a stretch... Okay I sent Dru to talk to him." Darla confessed.

Drusilla spoke then, almost as if she could sense that the tension needed breaking, "My Prince, you mustn't be late or Uncle Russell and the twinkling Queen of Spades will be very cross with you." She had this air of mystery in her voice and pouted at Spike, like a three year old would.

Spike opened the folder, read the papers and handed it back, "Not doin' anything for the wankers at the Authority." Clenching his jaw he snarled, "Now. Get. Out" He had to fight the urge to vamp out, to let his instincts take over.

Drusilla looked at him sadly, "My Prince is gone... The Sunshine has swallowed you whole."

Seeing Drusilla still kissed by moonlight, Spike's heart shattered all over again. He shot from his chair, "You... you left me! Remember!" Soon whatever sorrow was left in the Drusilla vault was turned into white hot rage. "You don't get to be all heartbroken. I loved you! You fucked Angelus... then you fucked half the demon population of Mexico! And you left me!" His voice was all passion, his face total rage and heartbreak.

Darla eyes widened as Drusilla fell into her arms, crying. "Wow, it's really over between you two." She was genuinely shocked – Spike always followed Dru like a little lost puppy. For Spike to be acting like this, it must be the final straw.

Spike closed his eyes, "I want you both out, when I get back!"


	14. Man Up

Don't own BTVS

**Man Up**

Chapter Fourteen

Spike watched the sleeping form of his lover. She was beauty incarnate and she was with him, a lowly beast of a man. It was hard to believe that all the fighting and tormenting each other all melted away into the type of love he longed for in his human days. She loved him completely and without fear of judgment and now he held her in his arms so sweetly that he almost thought it was a dream. It was within seconds of realizing that this lovely image was not real, that Spike was forced into consciousness by the smell of burning. More precisely, it was his burning flesh.

Spike had fallen asleep waiting for Buffy to return home from her patrol alongside Angel. Since Riley's assault, Buffy had barely been in her house, choosing to stay with Giles. It had been midday when Buffy finally tired of Giles and the scoobies, choosing to brave her house for some much needed alone time. To Buffy's dismay, she had found Spike sleeping on the sofa with the shades shut, looking far too comfortable for her liking. So she opened the shades to let in the newly risen sun.

Spike crouching behind the sofa, "BLOODY HELL YOU CRAZY BINT, ARE YA TRYIN TO KILL ME!" The roar seemed to amuse the slayer as she played with the blinds.

Buffy folded her arms, "Why are you in my house?"

Spike roared again, "Shut the fucking shades or I'll -"

Buffy cut him off, "Or you'll what? Snarl at me some more? Because I'm so afraid of the bleach wonder. I ask again, why are you here?"

Spike's eyes darken as he decides to goad her further, "Nice stitches, Slayer, did captain cardboard give you more?" Malicious, he knew. But it got her attention.

Buffy's heart almost jumped out of her throat. Her voice seemed to turn lifeless, "I don't care why you are here just get out." Buffy made her way to the kitchen to look for the bottle of vodka she gotten from her dad a few days ago. Mockingly, her dad placed it in the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet, just out of her reach.

Spike followed Buffy into the kitchen, watching her tiptoe and straining to reach a bottle of vodka. He slipped behind her, causing her to jump like a scared cat. He got the bottle and handed it to Buffy. She opened the bottle and took a long swig of the vile tasting liquid, letting the warmth of the booze cover her insides. Spike watched in awe as the bottle of vodka slowly disappeared. He was starting to notice all the little changes that came over her like the smell of stale liquor, hiding the scent of strawberry shampoo and something else entirely Buffy. Moreover, Spike could see the dark circles encasing her fierce eyes. Spike tried to retract his earlier statement, "I didn't come here to fight. I came here to help,"

"Go away." Buffy hissed. She rushed past him back to the living room, turning on the TV and pretending that Spike wasn't there.

Spike waited for a jabbing insult or bodily threat to come from his Slayer, but none came. She stared into the TV, nursing a bottle and waiting to pass out. _Should have just killed her as soon as I got the chip out. Would have been easy too._ Guilt zapped Spike harder than the chip ever did. Sitting beside Buffy, Spike turned off the TV, "I'm a git. I didn't mean anything I said before." Spike took an unnecessary breath, "Hmm... as much as it pains me to say this, I am sorry." He spoke quietly and seriously.

The Slayer's words came out slurred and awkward as she inhaled more vodka, "It's ook Spike. It's not like it's yourr fault, I jusst brring out the hate and angerr in all men I come in contact with." Her stomach was flopping around threatening to come up. She was starting to tear up at this point. Spike could never handle a woman crying, even with Darla, as soon as the water works cut on he felt obligated to comfort and with Buffy it was no different. Except with her there was only one way to comfort her and that was to piss her off.

Spike sat beside his slayer, "We both know that is bullshit Slayer, now snap out of it."

Buffy scoffed, "No itz trrue look at my track rrrecord. Angel good guy saves the world, after sleeping with me turnsss into a killerrrr. Then Riley grrreat guy workss in the military, afterrr being with me for a year he throwss away his careerrrs and turns into a monster." Buffy took another sip from the bottle.

Spike grabbed the bottle, "Two guys don't make a pattern." He took a long drag from the bottle nearly emptying it. Drinking for vampires was always a hard task; it takes them twice as much to get hammered.

Whining like a petulant child, Buffy cried. "HEY GIVE THAT BACK!" She crawled on to Spike's lap reaching for the tall bottle of liquor.

Spike took a swig, "No. I think you are good on the booze front."

Buffy wrestled to get the bottle away from Spike's grasp.

Mischief played across Spike's mind as Buffy pulled on the bottle, straddling his lap. He let go of the bottle during a vigorous pull from Buffy, forcing the slayer to lose her balance and topple backwards, nearly hitting the coffee table.

Buffy crawled back onto Spike's lap giggling. "I wonder if the opposite would work."

In awe of her proximity to him, Spike found himself holding back his desire to touch her. He asked, "What do you mean, pet?"

Buffy grabbed Spikes face as she straddled him, "I turn every man I sleep with into a bad guy. Maybe-"

Chuckling darkly, Spike cut her off, "Think if you fuck me all good and proper like, I'll turn into a white hat." He bucked his hips up to emphasis the point as she wrapped her little arms around him.

Leaning in, Buffy started kissing him. She nearly purred as the kiss ended, "No I don't think so."

Buffy rolled off Spike's lap. He found himself missing her warmth. "You don't turn every man you meet in to a monster." He told her very seriously.

Buffy laughed bitterly, storming off the sofa, guzzling vodka like it was water, "Yes I do, Xander, sweet normal guy, meets me and gets turned into a Hyena boy and then tries to be all big and bad. Parker starts off sweet and then we have sex, boom turns into asshole. And, and did I bring up Angel and Riley too? They both changes after meeting me! The only common denominator in these cases is me so it must be something in me that turns normally good, sweet guys into monsters." She cried.

Spike examined the girl in front of him. She hardly looked like the one who kicked his arse on so many occasions, yet that girl was there, somewhere in that crying form. Spike softened his voice trying to be sweet, "Wow that is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard. If you haven't noticed there was one more common denominator. All the men you listed were monsters long before you got there. For one, Angelus was in the history books for being the biggest bad vampire that ever lived and even when he was a human he was a complete arsehole. Two, Riley worked for a secret organization that tortured and experimented on demons to make a super soldier to kill his nation's enemies, so he was not only a horrible human being; he was a mindless tool as well. Frat boys are just a bunch of cocks anyway so that Parker bugger shouldn't even be on the list. Finally, the whelp likes to pick on things weaker than himself, add a little magic to that personality you have a monster. The only reason you didn't see it before is because men that are monsters like to hide the monster within until they get what they want. Look we don't have time for self-loathing or pity parties we need to get the slayers back you are the only way to do that so suck up the bullshit."

Mouth open Buffy started on her rant, "Self-loathing bullshit! You really just said that to me." Buffy punched Spike as hard she could, wishing it hurt him more, "Fuck you. I was fucking raped by someone I loved and trusted. That wasn't supposed to happen to me. I am the slayer." She took another swallow of liquor, "He would have killed me if Angel didn't show up when he did and you say I should just suck it up."

Spike remembered that night. He had done a patrol around Buffy's house, just to make sure all demons were gone for the night. He heard screaming coming from her house and without thinking he rushed in to save the day. Spike ran up to the Slayers room and busted through her door and saw what had happened. He had thrown Riley through the window and covered the Slayer up and then Angel walked in. Spike had sensed Angel following him all night. Angel, seeing what happened and smelling the scent of Riley all over her stilled, demanded to know who was responsible. Spike ignored the dumb question, dialing 911 and Angel stormed out as Spike hung up and he placed another call to Giles. None of the three men spoke of the event. Giles was content to let Angel be the hero for Buffy and Spike's part in all of it was forgotten which was fine by him. _Hell, the watcher even made up some story about Riley's disappearance to tell the scoobies to protect Buffy. After all there was no reason for them to know about the scandal._

Spike coldly stated, "It's better than wallowing in it." He grabbed the bottle back tossing it into the wall. "Like you said you're the slayer. Suck it up and do your job."

Buffy punched him in the nose, "You think I don't know that! I always have to do that!" Reality was hitting her now and her anger was deflating. _Crap, when even the bad guy is saying I need to do my job, I must be fucking up._

Spike grabbed his nose, "So do it Slayer." He told her.

Buffy started to pace, "How do I find a dragons heart?"

Spike shrugged, "Fair enough. Darla and Dru are in town and they are working for the Authority who wants you to find the heart. The pillocks even went to the trouble of writing a contract, saying they would give you the spells to guide you to the heart, if you give up a mystical key of some kind. The contract was fairly hazy in regards to this key business."

Buffy whined, "Great some demons have the dragon heart I need and if I want them I have to agree to their terms. Just perfect!"

Spike smugly stated, "Actually, they don't have the heart, they have a spell that can take you to the heart. That must mean they're in some different realm, which is why you and the scoobies can't find them here. Which must mean that if you and the scoobies can find the realm with the heart, you won't need the help from the demons."

Unwittingly, Buffy hugged Spike, "This is amazing, I have to call Giles." She released him and raced to her phone.

Spike gave an honest smile, "You're welcome pet."


	15. Fae Tricks

**I don't own BTVS**

**Power and Glory**

Part three

**Fae Tricks**

Chapter fifteen

A month had come and gone and the Slayer still could be counted among the living. The slayer was winning against all odds. It seemed impossible for this to be happening. She was powerless and cornered in the Hellmouth with all sorts of beasties longing to kill her for glory. Those vigilantes had failed. Those charged to end the Slayer's life, Russell and Lore, had run out of options. The assassins they hired had failed. To make matters worse somehow the Slayer had managed to skip town with her Vampire under everyone's nose. Thereby forcing the pair to meet in the Vineyard once again.

Lore paced in circles wearing a tread in the warped wooden floor boards. His partner stifled his laughter as Lore ranted in his native tongue. A noise that Russell couldn't help but compare to a tin can going down a garbage disposal. Lore growled at Russell's amusement. Russell rolled his eyes at his partner, "This isn't working perhaps, Ella might be right." He hated saying it for two uses. One, it was true and two, the Fae were only to be eaten.

Lore still refused to admit defeat. The last Slayer was destined be an offering to his gods. With the delusion and passion only reserved for crazed zealots Lore howled, "No! That Half-blood whore is WRONG. The Slayer hasn't actually been killing our warriors. It's all FAKE."

Russell bored of the company he has been keeping for the last two and a half months. He let sarcasm drip from his lips that seemed to go over Lore's head, "Yes, you must be right. After all the Slayer doesn't have a prayer of a chance killing anything." His voice became sugary sweet before he roared, "Oh wait, I almost forgot something... let me think... oh yeah... all those FUCKING DEAD ASSASSINS we wasted money on!" Regaining his wits Russell pretended to think a loud, "We need to make an alliance with the Slayer; before, things get back to normal. Rumor has it she has regained her powers and is carrying the next line of slayers." _The story wasn't quite true, the Slayer has been missing for the last month along with that Arualin vampire that hangs around her. Given her travel company it would make sense she would go through with it. Why did it have to be Arualin?_

Yellowish saliva dripping from Lore's mouth that splashed on to Russell as he spoke. "For one the Slayer is not killing our warriors. No it's those, two parasites…. Spike... and that one... that just moved back last month... I think his name is... Angel. And secondly, we both know the ritual is impossible to perform."

Russell asked for some patience. "What if she did?" The question sat heavy in the room.

Lore refused to acknowledge it. "NO! You, its you! You parasite... your the reason why we are failing. YOUR A SPY FOR- "

Lore hadn't the time to finish his statement; a woman no different than Aphrodite glided into the vineyard. She made no effort to hide herself from anyone's eyes. The strange woman merely stepped in front of Lore and ripped his spine from his chest. The blow sent the six foot tall Banshee to fall forward at the woman's feet. Ella sashayed into the vineyard behind the woman. Russell smiled at Lore's body, "Yep that's me the spy. Always so clever Lore."

Ella gracefully curtsied to Russell. "Russell it's lovely to see you again."

Russell collected his thoughts, "This was not our plan." It was a simple plan he would feed Ella information of Lore's Assassins. Ella would pass the information to Hank. Then Hank would head off whatever Assassin needed to be handled. This would go on until they found away to kill the Slayer without destroying everything in the process.

Ella smirked acting like she owned the room, "Plan was going too slow for me. I decided to go another way on the matter. With Glory's help of course."

Russell studied Ella looking for her escape plan. "I don't see it. How do you think your going to get away with this? The Families won't be pleased. Not to mention the old gods... immortals they do love their old laws."

Ella corrected, "I did not murder him. One of the old ones did."

Russell let out a dark laugh, "The subtle distinction makes no difference to the old ones. You wanted him dead and he died on the sanctuary grounds. Doesn't matter if you didn't pull the trigger"

Ella spoke like a cool drink of water, "Glory, do you have an opinion on this matter?"

Flames cling to Glory's finger tips like another set of nails. "I grow bored of maggots. We have business to discuss."

Ella smiled waiting for Russell to protest. When none came Ella started her pitch, "Thank you my goddess. As you are aware Russell, that the great Glory and I have come to an arrangement. I help her find the key and she kills my enemies." Ella pauses for moment waiting for the statement to sink in. "I attend to make an alliance with the Slayer and her people to help restore the balance before something bad happens; however, we both know the demon families will send their armies after me and my Kingdom for doing this. Now seeing how I have Glory I will be protected by her but war is such a pain in the ass so I want to prevent that by appealing to your common sense, help me sway the families to my will and you won't end up like Lore."

Russell solemnly shook his head, "You have made a bed of ash, that the Slayer will never let you sleep in."

Ella bites her lip hard enough to draw a little blood. _Blood will pull the vampire's focus slightly_, "Russell, right now, I need you alive. Because I need you, I am willing to deliver you your own collection offairy dicks you can feed and fuck from as much as you like. If you deliver the families to me."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Big thanks to Seiftis-forevs-47 has beta this act. It was a huge help.


	16. The In Between

I don't own any thing in BTVS

**The In Between**

Chapter sixteen

The pilgrimage to Death Valley had been long. Complete with a five hour drive and a three hour hike. Much as the young spark-less Slayer wanted to whine about the throbbing of her feet to her companions, Giles, Tara and Willow, she refrained. Until the group got into a small valley off the beaten path. The Valley was filled with towering rock formations and openings to a web of underground caverns. Giles place down his pack and instructed the group youths. Willow was asked to make large circle out of sage and rosemary for Buffy to stand inside, while Tara had the task of placing four blessed candles along the circle. Buffy stood uselessly in the center of the circle. Magic like driving had never been Buffy's forte and she normally chose to stay well away from it unless it was absolutely necessary. Despite, all Buffy's misgivings at this plan; It was the only way to get a dragon's heart. Though, Buffy did not have a plan about actually killing the dragon; she had no other options.

Earlier that day Giles had called for an emergency meeting at Anya's Magic Shop. Xander started the meeting voicing his displeasure, "Why are we up at this ungodly hour?"

Giles' in watcher mode explained, "Willow found a spell that can take us to a dragon."

Buffy shocked that she might be getting her powers back, "Spell? So Spike was right, the dragon's heart's are in a different realm?"

Giles starts cleaning his glasses, "Yes and no. The Dragons can't be from a different' realm; however, dragons have been lost from this realm for ages."

Xander yawned trying to cut to the chase so he could get to work. "Which means we're fucked and there will be no more slayers?"

Almost on cue Anya started to whine and demand, "Xander I am hungry do we have any pickles and ice cream in that crappy basement you live in. Speaking of which, seeing how I am the future mother of your bastard child; you might want to start thinking about moving to a place that doesn't smell like cat piss and tacos." Xander recalled the time where complaining would lead to sex, but now every time he tried to make a move he would get shut down.

Xander's embarrassment flowed through his features, "Anya baby, there is a time and a place for everything and right now this is neither the time nor the place."

Anya fumed, tired of Xander's back-pedaling, "It's never the time!"

Xander continued, "Honey please, we're trying to prevent the end of the world."

Anya yelled, " It's going to be the end of your world if I don't get Pickles and Ice cream!"

Giles could feel the vein in his head throb at the pairs actions. "Back to the point." Giles sigh, "There's a loophole in the realm rule. Seeing how things are lost in this realm, they can be in a subsidiary realm called the In Between."

Anya with a wistful smile, "Oh, the In Between, I used to send a lot of men there, back in the day. Women would wish for their boyfriends to get lost and boom there in the In Between at my hand."

Giles forced the trail of thought back to the situation at hand, "The In Between are for things that are lost to our realm but can't be in other realms which means all Buffy needs to do is go into the In Between and get the dragon's heart."

Anya laughed like the watcher just said something funny. "Are you an idiot?" Anya asked when she realized that no one was joking. "Its impossible, things can't leave the in between unless you're a demon. God I miss my powers."

Once again Giles agreed, "Yes that is true, but Willow was able to find a way for humans to go in and out with one object."

That meeting had led Willow, Buffy, Giles and Tara to Death Valley. Willow had to explain that if Buffy altered her consciousness during dusk or dawn than she could fall into the in between. After that was just figuring out away to get Buffy back. This could be done by simple guiding spell.

In the desert Willow handed Buffy an almost cartoonish red mushroom cap. She instructed, "Be sure to eat all of it."

Buffy studied the mushroom cap skeptically, "What, no hookah Smoking Caterpillar?" With no reply Buffy took a bite of the mushroom. Finding it surprisingly good she ate every bite as blue bitter goo covered her hands. In moment she felt her body buzz as light filled her head. The part of chanting witches and watcher seemed to make Buffy tickle.

To The Goddess of light

Guide the warrior through the dark

Let her find what can't be seen

Let her come back from where non have left

With these words we ask you please

Guide the last slayer

The voices of the group melted into songbirds flying into the newly painted sky. In glorious haze Buffy saw the birds dance and sing happily. They sang until they turned into the vicious monsters that consumed the slayers life. Soon all the scream she ever uttered echoed against the valleys walls as each monster in the sky killed one another. Soon blood from each beast fell in circle like a summer storm. The drops of blood attached itself to the Slayer like it was her own skin. Then a strange thought came to her what if it wasn't her skin but her blood seeping from her pours. She closed her eyes wanting not to see the faces of the monsters she had killed and the people she failed to protect. *Oh god there's so much blood! how do they not see it? oh god! I need a towel. Must keep it in or I will die. Oh god! Wait there something I need to do. What is it. I can't stand the screaming.* Unwittingly Buffy was screaming and clawing at herself wanting to wipe away all the death she had created in her short life. Giles watched and chanted wanting to save his young slayer but knowing this was a journey she needed to take on her own. Buffy seemed to circle back to the quest at hand, I remember dragons eggs. *I need to find them. Dragons eggs and the In Between.*

Soon the world fell into silence unmovable and peaceful silence. The slayer opened up her eyes and saw her friends on fire but this fire was strangely colored and it seemed dull except for Tara. The white flames danced on her skin and burnt far too hot for Buffy's liking. A woman came from nowhere. She seemed to blend into the shadows with her onyx skin and black leather jacket that seemed so familiar to Buffy but she couldn't place it.

The Woman forlornly watched the white flames, "Your right she will burn out far too quickly at this rate but that can't be helped now. We must go." Buffy did not take her eyes off Tara. She was so beautiful in the flames.

Buffy finally looked over at the woman, "I know you, don't I? You're a slayer?" She knew the woman's every step and jester like it had been her own.

The Woman answered, "Yes. My name was Nikki, I got called thirty years before you. Come on, I am running late." Nikki started walking through a door and Buffy followed. The door led to a small apartment in New York and a man that looked, shockingly like Nikki stood mid punch into a punching bag. Nikki walked over to him and touched his cheek.

Buffy looked around the small rat whole of an apartment, "I thought you were taking me to dragons."

Nikki ignored the girl only focusing on the man in front of her. "We'll get there just hold on." She turned to the young man. She crept closer as the man struck the bag in front of him. He was unware of the older slayer's presences, "Hey Baby. I am here like I promised. I told you, I will be back just before sunrise every night. Baby I don't like you frightened. You need to settle down. Whatever happened to that girl named Shay. I liked her you know."

Buffy uncomfortably watched the older slayers torment, "I don't think he can hear you."

Nikki's voice was firm, "Your job is not to talk child. It is to listen now shut up!" Nikki touch the man's face wishing she could be near him. "I got to go Baby please settle down and get a job that doesn't involve you dieing. You don't have to fight the evils of the world. That's what slayers are for. Well it was until some cracker bitch didn't know when to die."

Hatred filled the older slayer as she looked back toward her young sister. The young Slayer seemingly missed the point and instead stamped her foot waiting. "Do you have a point to this?"

Nikki explained, as if Buffy were a slow child. "He will never know I am here. I will never get to hold my grandchildren or teach my daughter in-law the lullaby I use to sing to Robin." Her voice broken little, "I am scared he'll never know how proud I am of him. But I know he will be okay even if I am watching from the outside. Being a mother and a slayer don't go together. The fighting will drag you down slowly every night until it takes you completely."

Buffy brushed the older slayer off, "I don't need a lecture, what I need is a dragon's heart. So unless there's dragons around here this is wasting my time." The comment had come off colder than she thought.

Nikki shook her head disappointed at her younger sister. "Nothin, it's a warning if you take the dragon's heart you can't change your course and you will never get a chance to stop all this fighting again. So do you really want to do this?"

Buffy remembered all of the faces of those she had killed and those she had failed. She had told Riley, she couldn't stop being the slayer. However, here was her shot to be a normal girl again. Now Buffy couldn't imagined not being the slayer, so answered Nikki, "Yes"

Nikki stonily ordered Buffy to follow her. They walked out of the apartment and soon they were on the streets of Sunnydale only it looked different people were all over the place and walked among the bodies of demons that covered the streets. They walked until they got to the cemetery. "I never liked the cemetery they were always to clean for my liking. This is as far as I go."

Buffy called after Nikki as she walked away, "Wait I thought you were going to take me to the dragon?"

Nikki smiled at the girl, a little saddened by her choice, "I did what I came here to do. Goodbye."

Buffy shrugged, "Well I guess they're in there somewhere." She walked into the cemetery and wandered around.

Kendra bounced to Buffy's side, "I missed you sister."

Buffy walked beside her slayer sister, "It's nice to see you again."

Kendra frowned remembering why they were here, "I wish it was under better circumstances. Come along." Kendra raced through the cemetery wanting to go back home to the land of the warrior but she stopped when she got to Angel fighting some demon just before sunrise. Only Angel was covered in chains. The chains were covered in blood and held a stone coffin at the end. The Coffin seemed to thump and there were growls coming from within. His enemy was a strange mix of lizard and bat with red thorns all over him.

Confusion filled Buffy, "Why are we here?" She stepped closer to Angel, reliving an old pain.

Kendra explained, "You need to see the monsters you will be laying with." She placed her arm around her sister.

Buffy defended, "Angel is not a Monster." It was a lie and both parties knew it.

Kendra pointed at the thumping coffin, "For right now, but those chains are weak and that coffin is growing thin. It will only take a small trifle to bring him back." During one of the coffins thumps it startedto splinter at the top just enough to see an amber eye peek out.

Buffy reluctantly agreed, "Your right and when Angelus comes back I will kill him like before."

Kendra watched her sister and prodded her gently, "Do you know who he is fighting?"

Buffy looked closely at the demon and saw the glowing light was Spike only younger and dressed like he was from a different time. The man on the shoulder barely seemed like the bleach blond that tried to kill Buffy so many times. "Spike? Let me guess there fighting because Spike once again did something evil."

Kendra explained, "Not quite. They're fighting over you. Spike has been watching over you these last few months partly for selfish reasons but now I think it's because he loves you."

Buffy shook her head, "Your wrong Spike hates me and I hate him. And the only reason he's helping is because he's up to something."

Small amazement plays across Kendra's face, "Yes once he did but not anymore. See that light on his shoulder. It's his soul it can't cross over but it no longer has a body. Most souls that can't cross over fade out and die but his has not. Sure it faded and maybe in another fifty years it would have died but not now. He fell in love with you slayer and that saved him."

Buffy grew annoyed, "Seriously can't you just take me to the dragons?"

Kendra agreed, "Fine," They walk to Buffy's house and just before she opens the door Kendra fades away and Faith is beside her once again.

Faith was consumed in a hug from her older sister, "Hey B." She squeaked out.

Fondly Buffy lets go of Faith. "I should have saved you," Buffy says letting herself feel guilty

Faith broke away, "Come on B, no time for dramatics. You want a dragon right? Follow me." The two slayers went upstairs and into Dawns room discovering a sleeping dragon no bigger than a horse. The dragon slept his ocean scales shining in the twilight like an exotic gem in a treasure chest.

Skeptically Buffy approach the dragon hoping not to wake it up. "Are you sure this is a dragon?"

Faith walked beside her, "Yep, I thought it was going to look like something out of the Flistones or The Hobbit but what do I know? Anyway if you take the heart you can't kill yourself for your sister. You will be the mother of slayers and you will need to take care of them for the future. Trust me kids need their mom."

For a second Buffy saw a flickering image of a girl walk by, "What sister?"

Faith pointed at the slender brown haired girl. "She is right over there." Buffy watched the girl scribble something in a notebook as she fades in and out.

The china doll face of the girl seemed familiar to Buffy but she couldn't place it. "I don't know who that girl is but I don't have a sister." Buffy pushed away the thought instead focused her energy on findingsome type of weapon to kill the dragon.

Faith agreed with her sister, "You're right, she's not really your sister, hell she's not even human but she has your blood the monks made sure of that. So when you get back to your world with the heart and remember that she is your sister keep in mind she's not real and you can't die for her. It's time to go."

Buffy longing for a good kill, announces eagerly, "Okay let's just kill this thing and get out of here."

Faith teased, "Never seen you so eager for slay." Faith handed over the dagger Buffy used to kill her so many years ago. In a quick thank you to Faith. Buffy attempted to plunged the dagger into the dragon stomach. The dagger slid through the scale as the beast came to light throwing up white flames. The Breast wretched in pain as it tried to shake way its attacker. Buffy would not be swung off instead the dragon howled in pain. The Slayer opened the dragons stomach trying to find the heart. The heart was not what Buffy was expecting. It had been a glowing star shining in the beast chest. With one good pull Buffy had the dragon's heart in the palm of her hand. It pulsed and thumped as the dragon wailed white flames. The Dragon was trying to flap its wings but found itself tired after a few tries. Buffy turned to Faith who had seem to vanish and in her place was an open door. Her body never left the desert and her friends still stood around watching her. Buffy took a step through door found her spirit in front of her body. Her body leaving her spirit near by stretched out her hand. Holding the dragon's heart spirit Buffy placed the heart in her body's hand before feeling herself being sucked up. Buffy's eyes blinked as she realized she was back in her body again.

Willow admired the star sitting in Buffy's hand, "Ooo pretty. I thought the heart was going to be all organy?"

"Yep," Buffy answered.

Xander arrived sweat stained and smelling like the inside of a stable. The poor boy had been dragging a large white cooler. Willow quickly made to help her longtime friend by taking the cooler and handing a bottle of water from her pack. "Tell me, why did you have to pick Death Valley in August. I couldn't even bring a four wheeler all the way here." Xander sat on the rock noticing the glowing orb, "That can't be the heart."

"Of course it is. I cut it out of the dragon," Buffy explained. "Is that what think it is?"

"A gift from your favorite brooding Vampire." Xander confirmed. "I don't see why it always has to be blood."

Her stomached flipped as she saw gallons of blood sitting inside the cooler. Kendra's voice echoed in Buffy's head, /it will only take a small trifle to bring him back.\ "Thanks Xan." Buffy tried, considering Angels gift.

"No problem, need heavy things lugged into the desert I'm your guy." Xander teased failing to the lighten mood of group.

"You don't have to do this." Giles remained misreading Buffy's furrowed brow.

"What and waste a perfectly good heart?" Buffy joked before noticing Giles' worry. Buffy gave her best comforting smile, "I'm fine with it Giles."

Willow nervously explained, "I hate to rush you but hmm we need to this now."


	17. Monsters and Men

Don't own any thing in regards to Buffy the Vampire Slayer

**Monsters and Men**

Chapter seventeen

Every five minutes thumps paired with pleas came from the truck of Spike's black DeSoto. The noise from his captive infuriated him making his fangs itch. It had been so long since Spike killed that he irrationally thought his demon would try to leave him. _Not that, that was possible,_ Spike mused. However it had been during one those emasculating moments; when he smelt Drusilla and the Ohio born farm boy at his crypt. Guided by Spike's nose he followed the scent of sour blood and arousal from his sire; to the lower level of his crypt.

The half mad vampire hips were bucking up and down on Riley's cock while the boy was chained to Spike's bed. Drusilla could feel her sons presence as he dropped down to the lower level. In an attempt hurt her son Drusilla let her orgasm fly letting satisfied cries ring out before lifting herself off of Riley. Riley hissed as the hundred ten proud body was removed from him. Hazily Riley watched his new captor turn to the shadows of the crypt smiling. Cold fear grips Riley as a hand wrapped around his captor's throat. Slowly the figure moved to the light revealing Spike. Spike snarling lowly to his captor, "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS THIS?" Riley could feel this wasn't good for him.

Riley after weeks of being held at Angel's mansion was released into the mad vampire's hands. The soulful vampire couldn't bare to kill him. Sure he could rough the Soldier up but the nagging little soul wouldn't let him finish the Soldier. One night finding Drusilla sulking around his place, after both Darla and Spike kicked her out, Angel saw the prefect scapegoat. He allowed her take the boy off his hands.

Now Drusilla sadly tangled in her lovers grasp. She sobbed, "A gift for my William."

Spike gently tossed Drusilla into a wall. He stalked over to Riley. The Soldier coward in the vampire's wrath, "Yeah that's why you were shaggin him in my bed!" Directing his attention to Riley, "How in the bleedin hell is he still alive. I thought peaches took care of this!" Spike studied the soldier strung up to his bed. Spike couldn't help but be disappointed; when he saw the only evidence of Angelus' handiwork was a tapestry of a few infected cuts and bruises around the boys chest, face and torso. He had been excepting much more trauma to have happen to Riley. It had been seeing Angelus peak from Angel's shadow that Spike had not gone hunting for the boy. Nevertheless, sinisterly Spike crouched to Riley's height, growling lowly, "Suppose I gotta kill ya myself."

Riley rasped out bravely, "Please try. I would love to see you flay all over the floor." Spike in response, picked up his crowbar from the floor and whacked Riley with it. "But the chip?" Riley turned ghost white.

Then that nagging poet in Spike's head started to whine, _You promised her you wouldn't kill. _Then the demon chimed in_, Shut it! Remember what he did to us. _Poet more demanding spoke up, _How will she ever trust us if you lie._ The demon sighed as it conjured images of Buffy's beaten and violated body to the forefront of Spike's mind. The demon snarled, _Why should he live after doing that to our girl_. The Demon chuckled as Spike railed on the Soldier relishing in the crunching sound of broken bones. Riley's broken cries, forced one more plea, from the nagging Poet, _You promised you wouldn't kill in the city limits_. That piece of information stopped Spike's hand. "How do you feel about road trips?" Spiked asked to the whizzing form of his victim. Almost hearing the internal debate Drusilla crumbled onto the floor body shaking with manic giggling. Spike growled, "Could do without the laugh track, Dru."

Drusilla picked herself up, "But it's so funny... I knew it." The Soldier sucked in his fear pulling against his chains as the two vampires were distracted. Drusilla walked over to the soldier yanking him free from the bed. "I wanted you to share in the fun like we used too. Before she hung all over you like dust." She dropped Riley to Spike's feet.

Spike shook his head, "I loved you for all my unlife. But whatever this is. I can't do it."

Drusilla bit her lip looking at the boy who inevitably changed the course of her's and Spike story. One last time she stared into Spike's human eyes, "I see you in flames."

She made to grab the boy but as though Spike read her mind, he grabbed Riley first. "You're not turning him Dru." She fled the scene. Spike turned to Riley, "I'm gonna have to thank peaches for such a wonderful gift." Spike chained up the boy before going through tunnels to his car. Driving for hours until the little poet was satisfied they were far enough away from Sunnydale for Spike to kill Riley. Spike turned to a secluded area in the desert dragging Riley's body far from civilization. Removing the boys restrains.

Spike teased waiting for Riley to make his move, "Come on it will be fun. No last heroics? Hey, I'll give you chance, rush me. I won't move!" Spike vamped out hoping Riley would attack. Deciding to goadhim further Spike asked, "Though I do have a question for you? Which chap's your arse more; the fact the slayer knows I'm chipless and is cool with it or the fact you can't have her?" Seeing the look of astonishment in Riley's face made Spike laugh, "Yea, she knew and didn't tell you... Which I guess in a way answers my question. Don't feel too badly about it mate. The girl needs some monster in her man... and that's not in your nature... no matter how low you try to go."

Riley shudders at his actions remembering every scream and plead. More importantly how much he liked it. Everything in Riley screamed he deserved this yet he couldn't help snarling at Spike, "She'll never love you either... she can't. You're a killer!" _Not that I'm much better._

"Look at you. All afraid I'm hot for your honey." Spike smirked at Riley, "Well... yeah. But that's not your problem." Spike grinned maliciously. "Your problem is your imminent death."

Riley decided to except his fate, "Unless your plan is to bore me to death. I would get on with it."

Spike smiled letting out a year and a half of anger on the Soldier, thereby, shattering every part of his body. Riley with a collapsed lung spat one more insult to the vampire, "Killer."

Spikes boots smashed in Riley's ribs before crushing his knee caps completely, "I've changed my mind, I'm not going to kill you. I have a much better idea. I'm thinking starving to death under a beating sun is far more fitting."

The vampire sauntered away from his victim leaving him to the elements. Nearing his car Spike got a whiff of something delicious. The intoxicating scent of burning leafs and ocean spray drove Spike away from his car. With every step he grew closer to the source the fuzzier his head got. The distortion forced Spike to rely on his demon. The demon guided Spike's feet to a valley. His amber eyes scanned over the large almost phyletic rock finding the Slayer chained to the largest of the rocks. Spike approached slowly scanning the area for any enemy's. With none in sight Spike steps towards inhaling the sweet sent of blood coated the Slayer's already sweet smell. "Hung up here all defenseless without a stitch on, covered in blood; why don't the powers ask somethin big and nasty to eat her," Spike said to himself.

Buffy squirmed temptingly on the rock trying to escape her chains. "Help me." She croaked barely making out the leather figure coming toward her. The dragon's heart made her burn on the inside turning eyes into quick silver and her blood into flame. Everything hurt, Buffy longed to feel something cold, _I'll do anything to make the burning stop._

Enjoying the view Spike leered, "That all depends will I get somethin in return?"

Exempting a threat or insult, Spike was stuck when Buffy leered back, "Help me."

Spike followed the tangle of chains to a cheaply made lock. In one quick motion Spike broke the lock. Buffy squirmed out of the chains before tackling Spike to the ground. "Yep, this is more like it." Spike grumbled before attempting to toss her off. She wasn't as easy to get off as he thought.

Buffy purred against him, "Cold." Ripping off Spike's shirt, she kissed him.

They kissed more passionately as clothes flew off Spike's body in a flurry of motion. Her skin was like lava but Spike couldn't help but touch it. He found himself sucking on her breast as she was straddling him. Buffy let out little moans as she plunged herself onto Spike's cock. Lust drove Spike mad as Buffy squeezed his cock with her little pussy.

Spike flipped Buffy onto her back; before entering her again. Spike groaned as Buffy writhed under his touch. Without thinking he vamped out while sucking her nipples. The monster wanted a taste of the slayer and Spike couldn't push it down anymore. Buffy sensed what he wanted from her. Buffy whispered in his ear, "Take it."

All Spike's demon could do was think of the taste of sweet slayer blood running down his throat. William the poet spoke for Spike not letting the demon control him, "Oh god, please... I might never stop." Buffy started to suck on his neck before biting in, to taste his blood. Spike lost it, the monster in him reared its head and tore into her soft milky neck drinking the sweet blood as Buffy started to come. "You taste like... living flame." Spike gasped out as he become lost in the taste of her blood and the smell of her arousal. His cock burst inside her filling her completely.

The man in Spike regained control allow his fangs slip out of her neck as his human face replaced the monsters that had been there moments before. He wanted to hold her longer but she still felt like she was on fire. "Sun's coming up." Spike whispers holding his lover.

Sleepily Buffy drags him to the cave. In the damp darkness of the cave the couple makes love a few more times until they fall asleep in each others arms. As the sun crawls through the sky the power of the dragon's heart looses its pull. Soon Buffy is back to herself before nightfall. Though at first Buffy was relieved to find the long psychosis of the week had ebbed from her psyche; the discovery that she was wrapped in her mortal enemy's arms filled her with a new panic. Violently Buffy wretched herself from Spike's grasp. An effect that forced the Vampire into an awareness a few hours before sunrise. Buffy eyes widened in horror as she started to stammer, "Oh god no… you shouldn't be here." Soon her hazel eyes glanced about for her clothes before she recalled Giles and the Scoobies had taken them for the ritual. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

Spike leaned back on the cave floor stretching as he closed his eyes while he thought of the best explanation. "I was gettin rid of some junk." _It was true_, Spike told himself, _it could be argued that Riley was human junk._ Unimpressed by Spike's answer Buffy pulled him to his feet and pressed him to the cave walls with a little effort on her apart. In an in attempt to change the subject Spike smiled, "Hey, look at that the super girl act is back. Wanna another go to celebrate?" Spike leered, as he snaked his hands around her heart shaped rear.

Buffy felt breath leave her body, "Oh. God. That stupid ritual." She pulled away from him.

Spike leaned against the cave wall. Vaguely, he recalled the ritual, but one detail did stick out above all else. He thought it was odd that the Powers would send some being to sex-up the Slayer to get her spark back. _Unless that wasn't the only thing the being was supposed to bring back, _the poet nagged. Then realization punched him in the stomach, "What was this ritual supposed to do?" He really wished he had a cigarette.

Buffy shook her head not wanting to explain the purpose of the ritual. Never the less Spike stood their demanding an answer. Buffy nervously tried to find the right words, "Hmm… you see…. it's supposed to well…. bring back my powers…. and hmm well…. the slayer line." She lamely explained wishing she had paid more attention to Giles. Spike's blue eyes rang with understanding burning through Buffy with something akin to awe. She turned away from his hard stares making her modest.

Spike grabbed Buffy from behind wrapping his arms around her middle. He could feel her heart pounding out her chest. He pressed his hand flat over her stomach. Spike purred in her ear. Earning himself a shudder from the girl in his arms. "Did anything else show up before me?" His demon hissed for Spike to _drink her dry. She makes us weak._

She shook her head. "No." She gasps as one of Spike's hands move between her legs. "What are you doing?" Her voice was husky. She knew she should throw the vampire off her but the way his fingers slicked inside her, rubbing her clit made her moist.

"Celebrating." He kissed her neck emphasizing every word with a caress, "Got your old powers back and with new slayers on the way. You should be relaxing." His hand thrust deeper inside her, making her moan.

"Spike." She pitifully tried to refuse but instead pressed herself deeper into Spikes embrace.


	18. What the Hell

**What the Hell**

Chapter Eighteen

In a beat up Dodge, that was old enough to drive itself if a were human, Xander sat in a bus station parking lot in L.A. Patiently, he waited for the 415 greyhound that would signal Buffy's arrival. In truth Xander did not understand why Buffy called him out of all the Scoobies to come pick her up. Out of all of them he was the least supportive of Tatamy's ritual and the most vocal about it. Many times prior to her trip to the desert, the boy had assured the Slayer that there had to be another way to fix the broken slayer line but she had not listened and chose to perform the ritual. Needless to say when Xander received a call from a payphone, at a truck stop he had been utterly shocked to discover the person on the other line was Buffy. Even though, he had hundreds of questions bumping and bumbling around in his head; none were asked. There had just been a dazed, uncertainty in Buffy's voice that had compelled Xander to simply follow her command. Dutifully he waited for the 5pm bus to arrive, that was currently forty five minutes late. Soon the boy started to scan the busy parking lot of the bus station searching for Buffy. Worried Xander got out of his car to complete a thorough search of the area, before calling in backup but Buffy had spotted him first before the well placed worry could result in panic.

Buffy hadn't taken the bus like she told Xander, no, she had hitch hiked back to L.A after she had discovered just how successful the ritual was.

The Slayer had started to feel the first signs of pregnancy, the night before with a wave of nausea during her patrol in a dusty town on the outskirts of the highway. Spike had made her call it a night after the smell from a slimy, boneless blob demon nearly caused her to loose her dinner and her head. At first she wrote it off as food poisoning from a bad egg role; but Spike had made an offhanded joke about morning sickness in the first trimester that had prompted her to slip out of the motel room during the day. She had not planned to leave Spike in their motel room; she just wanted to see how effective Tatamy's ritual was on her own. Armed with a plastic stick from a drug store Buffy took a pregnancy test. Yes, it was no surprise to her when it came out to be positive. Giles had made it very clear that Tatamy's ritual would result in a child that would restore the slayer line. /However being told something and knowing it were different things,/ Buffy inwardly groaned.

For a long time Buffy could do nothing but stare at the little stick that mocked her with its blue cross. It seemed to sneer at her in this nasty sarcastic voice, "Yes, it's true your carrying your mortal enemy's child. Congratulations!" The cool collected slayer that had walked out of the motel room was gone and replaced with her barely nineteen year old counter part; and to make matters worse this counter part seemed to have just realized the child that was predicted in dusty old books was no longer just a theoretical idea, but something living and growing inside her. Buffy did not think, she just reacted choosing to hitch hike back to L.A. She just couldn't face Spike with his mocking blue eyes and cool predatory smile while gurgling panic threatened to devour her whole. From a truck stop about two hours from L.A she called Xander to pick her up from a bus station.

Only, Buffy had regretted calling Xander almost instantly after seeing him. Out of all her friends the Slayer believed Xander would be the least likely to ask about Tatamy's ritual. However, when she watched Xander traipse around the parking lot; all she could remember was his disdain for the entire ritual and the animosity between him and Spike. /Maybe he won't ask,/ Buffy thought as she greeted Xander with a hug. "Hey Buff. I thought Giles was going to come and get you from you know," Xander greeted awkwardly while returning the hug. Soon they broke the hug making their way to the car.

Buffy tried her best to explain the change in plans without saying too much about her experiences with the ritual or with Spike, "Yeah… hmm after I came down from the dragon thing, hmm, uh I just sorta thought... it would easier if I found my own way back."

Xander nodded his understanding, as they got into the car. "So, where did you get the dress?" The white, willowy, gossamer gown that hung loosely on Buffy belonged to Drusilla back in the 60s. It was one of her least favorite gowns so it was tossed in the back of the Desoto and forgotten.

She shrugged causally lying, "I kind of stole someone's clothes from a Laundromat. So what's been going on in Sunnydale?"

For long time Xander caught Buffy up on the events of Sunnydale, "Me and Anya have moved in together officially. We found this great two bedroom apartment. And Willow came over and did a protection charm on the nursery."

Buffy bit her lip awkwardly, "How is Anya doing with all this baby stuff?"

Thoughtfully Xander explained, "She whines a lot about it. Mostly its about the weight thing and the swollen feet. Oh and the morning sickness. Okay I take that back, its pretty much everything." Soon Buffy was imagining herself in Anya's place with her feet the size of clown shoes and stomach as large as a whale. Now used to shifting changes of women's moods, Xander recognized the volatile situation he suddenly found himself in. /The wide eyed look of horror could end in two outcomes if not played correctly: explosive rage or sobbing./ Carefully Xander spoke, "But she's beautiful still. Even if she doesn't think so. So, hmm was the uh ritual thing a success?"

Buffy changed the subject, "How's Willow and Giles? Is there any new crisis in Sunnydale?"

Reporting that Giles now owned the magic shop with Anya at his side, while Willow had gotten deeper into magic. Xander sucked in a breath before adding, "Graham came around looking for you after you left town."

"Why?" The question shot out of her like a bullet.

The harshness of her tone puzzled Xander making the next part of the story harder to say. "Well he wanted to know more about the demon, that attacked you back in July. Giles told him you were unavailable and the demon they were searching for had been taken care of." The boy had never heard Giles as cold, as when he was addressing the former soldier.

Her brow wrinkled in confusion, "Why did he want to know about the demon?" Graham had come to visit Buffy about Riley's vanishing act when Riley had first left town in July but Buffy had brushed it off; too busy with the broken slayer line to pay the former soldier any mind.

Xander tried to find the right words. "Remember how you said that Riley and you had a fight, and he left town before that fishy Juno demon attacked you. Well... hmm, Graham said that might not be the case. You see Riley's army pals found him in some hospital just outside of Nevada. Graham said it's a miracle he lived. Now here's the part of Graham's tale that me and the rest of the gang find funny. You see they think Angel is responsible for Riley's condition. Graham implied maybe you were covering for Angel... that this fishy Juno demon didn't exist. That Angel was the one who attacked you and also attacked Riley. At first me and Wills didn't believe it, Angel has his soul... but it makes sense. He shows up a month after your powers stop working, on the same night you were nearly killed and then Riley vanishes."

"Angel did not attack me." Her voice broke no argument.

"But Riley?" The question was more of a confirmation of something that didn't need to be said.

The Slayer replied bluntly, "Is lucky he is in Nevada." Her green eyes were harder and colder than jade and when she spoke it was in that fiery voice that Xander had never heard outside of the battle field.

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence until they got outside Buffy's House. On arrival she opened the car door making her way towards the house. Xander stopped her from leaving, "Buffy whatever happened with you and Riley. I'm here if you need to talk." Buffy sweetly thanked him for his concern and went inside.

Entering into the empty house, Buffy made to wash off the grit from her travels, by marching up to the shower before tackling the items on her to-do-list. _Step one, go on patrol, start with Willy's Place. I need to let the demons know,__I'm back in a big way and__it will be fun to kick some ass solo again. Step two, talk to Giles. There are way too many loose ends for me to tie-up. First, I need to tell him about the ritual. God, I'm pregnant. I am going to have to sit there in Giles' apartment and tell him I am pregnant. Fuck,__which means__I need to tell him about Spike. Maybe, I should tell him about Dawn first… Faith told me Dawn was not real. When I was in the in-between I hadn't even known she existed. No... he's going to ask about the ritual so let's just rip the band aid off that one right away. Step three, check on mom. Can't believe mom is still in the hospital. Oh my god... I forgot about mom! What am I going to tell her, when she wakes up. 'Oh hey mom guess what happened__while you were in a coma,__I got knocked up. And you would you believe it your grandchild is going to be a slayer too. Oh and who is the father you ask... Spike! The soulless killer who tried to murder me.' This is bad! Maybe the next step should be to visit dad and check on Dawn. Dawn who may or may not be real. If she's not real why is she around? Okay so she has to be real but what is she? Is she evil? Is she going to hurt the baby? God, what happened__to monsters just being monsters and sisters just being sisters_? Whining to herself as she shut off the warm water, "Can't my life just be normal."

Buffy could almost hear Nikki mocking her for choosing this path as she wrapped a towel around herself. The Slayer ambled over to her bedroom making her way to her closet. _God I missed my own clothes. Though, it was sweet of Spike to lend me Drusilla's stuff. No,__not sweet Spike is not sweet. He was being practical. You had no money for clothes and you could not run around naked. _She pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans that had become soft from numerous spins in the washer before finding a loose pink peasant top. It wasn't long before she grabbed the stake Kendra had given her and was off for the night.

The night was a blur of violence and blood. Single handily the Slayer trashed demon's in Willy's Place, staked the Vampires that hunted in the Bronze and then weeded graveyards for fledglings. Quickly the demon population remembered who was in charge of the Hellmouth. Once Buffy was satisfied by the show of strength she managed to gain enough courage to go to Giles's apartment. Bashfully Buffy tapped on the door. Giles had been waiting for her in a full tweed suit with that sour milk expression plastered on his face, "Buffy, how good of you to stop by tonight." He guided her inside to a sofa. "Would you like some hot chocolate?"

Buffy shook her head in refusal, "No thanks Giles."

He took his place in an arm chair. Sternly Giles told the story of his day, "So, I drove about four hours to Death Valley and hiked another hour. All to discover you had completely vanished. The chains you were in were broken, with the only indication that another person had been present at the sight, were tire tracks leading out of the park."

_Oh, I knew forgot something,_ Buffy inwardly kicked herself as Giles went on with his story. "Panicked, I call in a favor to an old friend. He does a guiding spell that leads me to a cheap motel with Spike inside. Our old friend Spike tells me you have run off to good ol' Sunnydale without him. So I feel the need to ask you, what in the bloody hell happened?"

Buffy sunk into the sofa as if she still was sixteen and her mom just caught her sneaking out. "Okay, I know I should have called-"

Giles interrupted Buffy's explanation. "Bloody right you should have! You should've called the instant you left the bloody desert!"

Inwardly she groaned, "You're right, I should have. But I wasn't really safe to be around until this morning. You saw... After I ate the heart there was this primal darkness, eating away at me. God, Giles I nearly killed you while you were chaining me up. The heart... it just took hold of me and it made me want things like sex, blood and destruction. I felt so powerful but I was burning alive. It was scary Giles. Then Spike shows up and he helps me. He unchained me and we well hmm, well we, mated. We had each others blood... it wasn't enough to kill me or turn me... but Spike said it was enough to create a claim. That we would feel a pull or something... like we would need to be with each other but we don't actually have to be with each other. Weirder still, I feel like if I focus on it, I'll know where he is. Anyway, I digress, when I woke up next to Spike, I thought it was over, the primitiveness that creates my slayer side was satisfied but it wasn't. It returned in full force when the sun went down. Giles, I was dangerous. If it wasn't for Spike being there, I might have killed some poor hiker. Fortunately, everyday that primal force had less of a pull on me until I was able to go back to civilization. Then we shacked up in some motel off the interstate. I didn't want to go back to Sunnydale until I was certain I was back to normal. So we hung out for a while. We were planning on calling you before we left tonight so you wouldn't accidentally drive down but this morning... I kinda panicked a bit when I realized just how successful Tatamy's Ritual had been. It all just became too real. Well I just left Spike because I couldn't deal and I hitch hiked back to L.A and got Xander to pick me up. "

Outrage forced Giles' mouth to drop, "Let me get this straight; instead of calling me, who was coming down anyway to pick you up, you hitch hiked back home and called Xander over me!"

Buffy's eyes started to water as the hormonal phase of her pregnancies seemed to begin. "Giles, I didn't know what to say. I'm so sorry."

Giles softened his voice before repeating his earlier point, "You should've called." Cleaning his glasses, "Does Spike know about everything?" Buffy pouted out a sulky 'yes' as Giles huffed out another question. "During your dalliance with Spike, he wouldn't of happened to have told you; when his chip stopped working or why he was even in Death Valley, in the first place."

Buffy swallowed hard, begging the question, "How, do you know about the chip?"

Narrowing his smoky grey eyes at her, "He attacked me when I came looking for you. Now how long?"

"Since June," Buffy whispered.

"My god that's almost four months. You had an obligation to inform us as soon as you found out about the chip. Buffy he is dangerous!" Giles took off his glasses and shook his head, "This explains so bloody much. Gods, I should've known. I mean Spike was helping us, that's clearly a red flag!" He placed his glasses back on, looking at his squirming slayer. "Now why in bloody hell was he in Death Valley?"

She didn't know how to answer, "He told me he was getting rid of some junk from his crypt."

"Junk from his crypt? And you believed him?" Giles sighed, already knowing the answer.

Buffy frowned, "I believe our definition of junk might be vastly different, but did I question him on the matter further, no."

A moment of sympathy played on Giles' face. "This claim that Spike tricked you into it might have given you feelings about him that you normally wouldn't carry. It might be skewing your judgment about him."

The events of Tatamy's Ritual were hazy in Buffy's mind but she did remember biting Spike's neck first. "It was me, Giles. I made the claim. Well, me under the influence of the Dragon's heart. But he didn't want to. I kinda bit him and he lost control." She flushed at the memory of Spike pumping his cock inside her as he ripped into her neck with his long, sharp fangs.

Gently Giles placed his hand on Buffy's lap, "Buffy... you don't think it's odd that Spike has been helpful lately or that he just mysteriously knew that the heart we needed was in a different realm. And isn't it just so convenient for him to be tossing out some junk in Death Valley at the same time you're performing the ritual?"

The truth was she had found it all odd at first but she been too worried about restoring the slayer line to pay attention to it. _He was always just there,__right when I needed him_. Dazed Buffy asked, "You think he was put up to everything?"

"I think Spike is a selfish, soulless killer; who couldn't kill recently, because of a piece of plastic in his head. Moreover, any actions that may show otherwise were driven, not by a change of heart, but by a third party that has an interest in seeing the slayer line restored," Giles stated as directly and kindly as possible, as he made his point about Spike.

In one quick motion Buffy shot to her feet and stared down at the Watcher, "No, Spike wouldn't do that." She recalled the quiet moments they shared where they pretended not to be their titles in between their passionate love making. They had talked about poetry and bad TV. They told each other stories from pre-slayer and vampire days. She refused to believe it, "Why would Spike willingly be a part of some ritual to bring back slayers?"

Giles got to his feet staring into her jade eyes, willing her to understand. Almost begging he explained, "You mean other than being one of two vampires to ever bed a slayer and the only vampire in history to ever claim one? How about this: a hypothetical third party might have offered to take out the chip. Which just so happens to stop working when this all began."

Stubbornly she denied once more, "You're wrong!"

She made to storm off but Giles had sent another question her way. "Then I don't understand why you left the motel. If Spike had fallen into his position as your new paramour than why leave? He would have gladly driven you back whenever you wanted. "

The question had stopped her. "I already told you." _Because, I freaked out about being pregnant with my mortal enemies child. So I left. _That was kicker of the whole situation Spike was her mortal enemy. He had tried to kill her in the past so many times. _Falling into bed with him had only been a__small__part of the madness of the ritual,__nothing more_. She had no reason except for a gut instinct to say Giles was wrong about Spike's motivations.

Giles studied her with fatherly worry, "You must have known on some level Spike was up to something. Why else would you leave?"

Buffy looked down as if she had been caught cheating on a test, "Let's say you're right... He told me that Drusilla and Darla were working for someone called the Authority. Moreover, that Drusilla and Darla were sent to persuade Spike to give me a message. This Authority had been interested in helping me with my heart dilemma in trade for something. Spike said it was for a key but if he was lying it could be…" Absently Buffy put her hands over her stomach protectively.

Solemnly Giles confessed, "The Authority is a government of sorts. It rule's over vampires for the most part but it has its fingers in a bit of everything. They would have an interest in controlling the slayer line and they would have the resources to remove Spike's chip." He watched as a flicker of devastation passed on Buffy's features before it turned into stony indifference. "Buffy, for all Spike's selfishness I don't believe he understood the gravity of his part in all this. If he had, he wouldn't have agreed."

Her voice was like a knife, sharp and to the point. "It really doesn't matter now, does it?" She was about to leave before she added, "When I was in the in-between, Faith was there. She said Dawn wasn't real. I'm not sure how that plays into all this but it's important. I'm just not sure how."

* * *

><p>OoOoOoO<p>

Big Thanks too my beta Seiftis-forevs-47. I know this chapter is filler and isn't where we originally left off, to those of you who have been following along, but _Marshmallow Girl_ left too things open and didn't connect the plot together. I hope this Chapter will clear some stuff up.

Please read and review.


	19. Marshmallow Girl

I don't own anything BTVS

**Marshmallow Girl**

Chapter eighteen

Hannah Hand Job modeled a white, frilly sewing machine disaster for her four brides maids: Buffy, Dawn, DJ and Jessie. DJ and Jessie judged the blushing bride inwardly while mindlessly they chatted about Hannah's elegance. With the hums of chatter in the store Buffy and Dawn contemplated the poor decisions that led them to be stuck in this room. Dawn believed that it all had to do with Buffy's tryst in the desert. Buffy vanished for a months time without an explanation to her father or future step mother. When the Slayer returned her father had guilt her into being an active member of the wedding. Buffy's involvement led to Dawns involvement which led both parties to the little bridal store of horrors.

After Hannah had decided that dress was too tight she went back into the dressing areas. The brides maids groaned, they had hoped that dress would be the last one. Buffy and the three bridesmaids sat smiled and nodded as Hannah came back out in a fluffy white gown. The dress itself was pretty enough with its Cinderella design but on Hannah it seemed to turn into a fluffy, lacy nightmare. Hannah smiled, "Okay, like be honest Guys, how do I look?" Her dim witted brown eyes were alive with hope. Three out four bridesmaids had playacted the bride so they could leave.

Unfortunately Buffy's little sister Dawn was not on the same page. Half thinking the youngest brides maid blurts out the truth, "Really I thought she looked like a Marshmallow?" With a look from the brides maids that Dawn was certain could turn a vampire to dust she attempted to revise her statement, "I mean you look like the kind of Marshmallow other brides want to be."

The desired effect had been lost. Hannah clanged to her oldest step daughter as she wailed, "I will never find a dress. In fact my marriage will be just like this dress, horrible! I swear I am like cursed!" Awkwardly Buffy tried to push away as Hannah's mascara ruined the yellow dress.

DJ and Jessie had tried to discredit Dawn, "Don't listen to Dawn; she is just some stupid fashion challenged kid! You look hot in that dress." Much to the brides maids disappointment that only served to make the wailing louder.

Hannah between sobs, "Don't call... my step... daughter... stupid. She... she ...was... being honest unlike you bitches."

Buffy extracted herself from Hannah's grasp, "Don't worry about the dress, Hank ...loves you regardless of the dress you wear."

She nearly choked on her own words but this seemed to have the desired effect on Hannah. Hannah stood up and wiped her tears away. "You are sooo right my Hanky boo will love me no matter what. The wedding is not for another two months, so there is like, a lot of time to find a dress. In fact this next one will be the one I can feel it."

Hannah disappeared into the dressing room as Giles entered the shop. Giles searched for Buffy "Good I found you. I've been looking for you all morning."

Despite the seriousness of Giles's voice Buffy was giddy at the interruption. She jumped up from her spot, "So you need my help right now and it can't possibility wait." Buffy spoke louder than necessary so Hannah could hear from the dressing room.

Exasperated Giles agreed, "Yes so much so my friend Trevers and I need you back at the shop now."

Trevers name put the Slayer on edge. Buffy nodded her agreement, "I better go then. Dawn, can you get Hannah to take you home?"

Horrified at being left Dawn whined, "But I don't want to hang out with Hannah, can't I just go to Giles' apartment with you?"

Buffy commanded, "No, Hank wants you to spend time with Hannah. This is what you are going to do, case closed." It was a half truth she didn't want her little sister under foot with the Counsel around. She made to leave when the dressing room door swung opened with Hannah strutting out in a mermaid dress that would not look out of place on a stripper in Vegas. Buffy faked a smile before she said her goodbye to the bride, "You look so beautiful and I'm certain Hank will love the dress but I have to go. Giles needs my help."

Dawn agreed, "Yep you're beautiful and we are leaving now. Bye!"

Hannah looked horror struck, "You are? But I still have three more dresses."

Buffy through gritted teeth explained, "I have to go, Giles needs my help but Dawn is willing to stay with you and help with the dress selection."

Dawn's mouth dropped her blue eyes wide, "What?"

Hannah squealed, "Oh goody, you and I are going to have sooo much fun after this."

"Okay bye, now!" Dawn glared at Buffy as she dragged Giles out of the store.

DJ dug, "I thought her British boyfriend was hot."

Hannah shook her head, "That is not the guy. I think his name is like Spike or something like that."

Dawn laughed.

DJ looked confused, "What's so funny?"

Dawn ratted out her sister, "Nothing, it's just Spike isn't her boyfriend."

Hannah giggled, "Oh please, those two have serious sparkage. That other guy, I mean super cute for like an old guy and everything but he is like way too clean cut for her. Buffy likes her men with some bad in them." Conspiratorially Hannah recalls to the group, "Just look at the facts, Spike and Buffy like totally vanish at the same time, for like an entire month. You know they have to be up to some south of theborder shenanigans."

Meanwhile the Watchers Counsel had invaded the Magic Box. Quentin Trevers, the leader of the group, closed the store before he ordered his people to search through the relics that laid around the shop. The Scoobies did not comply with the Counsel's demands until a woman glided between the two fractions. The Woman's flute like voice had calmed the two fractions down enough for her to explain matters, "I am Ella Snow. I work as a liaison between the Counsel and the Supernatural Community. Miss Jeckins we are deeply sorry for closing your store and we will recoup any of your losses if your store remains closed during the course of the proceeding. I apologize for Quentin his firm leadership style has a tendency to bollocks up communications. Now until Buffy and her Watcher get here I feel that it would be the best use of time if we have a friendly chat so we all can get to know one another."

Ella divided up the Scoobies and had each one of her underlings question them on their relationship to the Slayer. After three hours past and still Giles and Buffy had not shown up, Trevers had grown angry. With every second that passed by, the Scoobies grew more worried. Xander shifted looking towards the glass door, "Where are they?"

Anya yawned counting the money from the till, "Maybe they got in a fight with some demons and they are dead. Anyway can we go, I am so bored."

Xander nervously chuckled, "Anya!"

Willow hissed at the ex-vengeous demon, "Buffy is a good Slayer and their fine."

The store tension eased as Buffy and Giles entered. Buffy questioned, "Whose fine?" She looked between her best friend and Anya.

Anya smiled at Buffy, "Oh good you're not dead." She place the money back in the till.

Buffy asked a little defeated, "Who said I died?"

Anya shrugged, "Well, seeing how we were called to this meeting at 9:30 am and its now 11 am; I was starting to wonder if demons had finally decided to kill you. I am personally glad to see you are not dead."

"Oh yeah, sorry guys, I was shopping with bridezilla all morning. I swear if I had to look at one more wedding dress I was going to slay her." Buffy grimaced.

Willow cheerfully stated, "It couldn't have been that bad."

Buffy pessimistically whined, "Hannah broke down and cried twice because Dawn couldn't keep her mouth shut."

Trever sighed, "Can we get back to more pressing matters?"

Buffy turned her attention back to the council members, "Its funny how you guys love to show up after we fix things." She folded her arms appearing more confident than she felt.

Trever stepped forward, "Now, now Miss Summers we are only here to see if the ritual worked and to secure the slayer line." He looked over the girl searching for any outward changes.

Buffy's mind flashed back to the caves with Spike. Spike and her had stayed making love in their own little bubble away from the Scoobies. They had stayed in the caves a few days before heading to a cheap motel off the interstate. There they tried to figure out if the ritual worked once they discovered it had neither knew what to do next. Buffy had decided to keep Spike out of the process, choosing to hitch-hike back to Sunnydale. In hindsight Buffy realize that might have been a bad idea as Trevers stared her down. Buffy's tone darkened, "Secure? What does that entail? Because from where I'm sitting you all should be across the Atlantic, staying well away from me and any future slayers."

Trevers pointed out. "Our only desire is to protect any future slayers."

However Buffy refused to back down, "I have seen how you protect slayers... I have to say you suck at it. "

"For someone who single handedly destroyed all slayers you are certainly mouthy." It was an effective jab that Buffy internally winced at. Trevers' tiring of this conversation, "Look we can go back and forth until the end of time, but that's not solving any problems. So I'm going to make this simple for you. Help us, your life remains relatively normal. Don't help us we will use all our power to crush you and your friends. Giles will go back to London. This magic shop gets shut down and…."

Ella stepped into the conversation, "Now please, Quentin don't threaten the girl that's not how we start a healthy relationship." She enchanted the room drawing everyone's eyes. "Buffy. Quentin and therefore, the counsel are not going to hurt you or your crew. We are certainly not going to sit here and tell you that in a snap of our fingers everyone that you love can be taken away; including your sister, mother, or even your dead beat dad with his bimbo girlfriend. What would be the point?" Ella scoffed at the idea, as she added, "Despite our ungodly amount of money and vast network of agents; what do we really have? Yes, we have a long arm of influence that gives us access to knowledge that your organization couldn't hope to have. That doesn't do us any good, except to help us see the pieces fall together but without a Slayer, we're pretty much just watching Masterpiece Theater." Ella pause and turned the air into electricity, "We need you. We need a slayer to keep the world spinning." Ella gestures to the counsel, "We're not here to force you on to your knees. We are here on our knees, begging you to let us back in."

Ella waited for a response from the blonde slayer that seemed to have lost a bit of her Californian tan. A little lamely Buffy fumed, "I'm not agreeing to anything until I know the counsels presence here is temporary."

Ella smiled and turned to a red faced Trevers, "How about it, Quentin? A few tests and then back to England for tea?"


	20. The Queen of Spades and King of Diamonds

The Queen of Spades and King of Diamonds

Chapter 20

Drusilla swayed and twirled rhythmically in the milky moonlight, just outside the decrepit vineyard, that rested on grounds blessed by the old ones. Music, soft and loving from a lullaby that was long forgotten played in the seer's head. The soft lullaby moved her through the unkempt vines and flowers that decorated the vast fields of the vineyard's sanctuary grounds. Despite, all the pain the second sight had given Drusilla through both her life and unlife; she had found it had its advantages when living among old magic's and enemies. Her seers' eyes had been enhanced by living among the old magics. It allowed her to see not only the future but the past as well and sometimes when she was quiet she thought she could see into people's heads. She could see the vineyard not as the husk of a broken and rotting building that was slowly loosing the battle against nature by being swallowed up by rogue vine and gnarled trees, as it was now but as it was when it was built over thirty years ago. All of the sanctuary grounds burst with life in the seers' head. Complete with the kindly moon bathing the pastoral scene of the Tuscany buildings, still shining white not yet yellowed and disfigured by time like smokers' teeth, in a loving glow. Soon her enchanting flute voice sang to the vines as if they would suddenly start blooming again.

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,

Lavender's green

When you are King, dilly dilly,

I shall be Queen

Lavender's green dilly, dilly

Lavender's blue

You must love me, dilly, dilly

'cause I love you.

The gentle whisper of the song prompted the ancient vampire known as Russell Edington to peer from the ornately carved door way that led out toward the vineyard's grape fields. From there he watched Drusilla with weariness drowned with a morbid curiosity. Not for the first time Russell mused, _She would've been an excellent vampire if not for Angelus' cruelty_. Inwardly the chairman of the Authority scoffs at the childish vampire's little song and dance among the wild brush of dead vines.

Who told you so, dilly dilly,

Who told you so?

'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,

That told me so

Call up your friends, dilly, dilly

Set them to work

Some to the plough, dilly dilly,

Some to the fork

A cruel sickening smile stretched on to the chirrup face of the raven haired seer. It was no use to hide anything from Drusilla, anyone in the Aurelian clan would say at least that about the mad vampire. With a little twirl toward Russell, she pretended not to know he was there watching her. Her enchanting voice rose a little louder so Russell could hear her better. The gentle Lullaby Drusilla had intended to use to bloom the flowers now had to be used to prove a point.

Some to the hay, dilly dilly,

Some to thresh corn

Whilst you and I, dilly dilly,

Keep ourselves warm

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,

Lavender's green

When you are dead, dilly dilly,

I shall be Queen

Darla had crept behind Russell while he stared dumbly at Drusilla swaying in the moonlight. _Man, woman, child, it made no difference what or who someone was they all ended up watching Drusilla with that look of wonderment plastered dumbly on their face_. There was a time back before Darla had died and come back that she would've been swirling in a jealous rage at that thought but now 9 months pregnant and three weeks passed her due date Darla could not find it in her to be angry with the seer. Stealthily as Darla could with her swollen pregnant stomach; she made to slip out of the vineyard unnoticed. Only it hadn't worked, Russell had stopped staring after Drusilla; choosing to turn to the piles of inky shadows Darla was currently lurking in just along the doorway wall. Deciding it would be better for her to pretend she wasn't about to leave; she removed herself from the shadows with a red smirk across her face. Coolly Darla greeted, "You know you can't spy on Dru without her knowing it."

He turned to greet Darla while explaining dully, "I wasn't spying,"

"We're leaving Russell." Coolly Darla found herself taking charge.

In that fake Southern drawl he liked to use to blend in with the residence of Mississippi, his current home town, Russell said, "You do not wish to be my guest anymore?" Both parties knew this farce of a partnership between the two dominant vampire clans ended the moment Spike left Sunnydale. Darla had come to Russell with only Drusilla watching her back to prevent the Slayer from turning. In Darla's long experience she had discovered a few basic truths. One of which was all slayers are dangerous; however, slayers without souls are world ending. When Drusilla had spoken about the Slayer growing old but never dying; Darla had assumed that some half-wit vampire she was strewing would think it a grand bit of fun turning the Slayer, thereby ending them all. Needless to say she marched over to Sunnydale with Drusilla in tow to prevent it from happening. Now that Spike was the Slayer's newest of vampire lovers; Darla knew there was no danger of her being turned. Spike had learned well from his first attempt at turning someone that you don't turn the people you love as humans into vampires. Darla no longer needed to remain allied with Russell Edington her problems were over but the problem was he still needed her and Drusilla.

Coyly Darla replied, "Our mutual interest are no longer that, mutual. It's time for us to go."

Russell was a selfish creature. He had lived for 3,000 years on the backs of mankind and he liked it. No more slayers meant one day sooner or later, mankind would no longer exist. No more mankind means vampires like himself would starve to death. It did not mean he wanted to keep the Slayer alive. He and his co-workers at the Authority, had every attention to kill the Slayer as soon as she popped out the new one. This Slayer was always hard to kill. _It was because of friends, family and lovers that she hadn't fallen into her death__, Russell mused__.__ Realizing this Russell came up with a plan_._ Don't go after the Slayer go after her loved ones._ Her dysfunctional family had been the easiest to go after. Hank was absent from her life and his return to it had made the slayer weak. Joyce and Dawn would be easy to kill off with a hired hand while her daughter was away. In fact Joyce was half way in the grave. Russell had hired the Juno demon to kill Joyce and Dawn but it had failed leaving Joyce in a coma and Dawn living with her father. Often times Russell had debated about finishing the job on the two women but felt the timing was still not right. He moved on to getting rid of her lovers. Russell's plan was to use Darla and Drusilla as a way to bate Angel and Spike into their deaths.

"Grandmamma, nasty Uncle Russell has mischief on his mind." Drusilla glided to Darla and Russell after the two had started talking.

Feigning surprise Darla gasped, "Does he now? What Mischief would that be?"

The deep well of the seer's eyes threaten to drown Russell in their intensity. "He thinks you're still the Queen of Hearts and Daddy is King while William plays the red knave and me his princess. He doesn't understand the Sunny Shine has burnt up my William's and my Daddy's heart. They no longer play in our court."

Quickly Russell broke from the seer's gaze. The girl was a child in comparison to him he would not be unnerved by someone who practically just crawled from their grave. He hissed at Darla. "I think your dear sweet granddaughter underestimates Angelus' and William's devotion to their women."

Darla was unmoved by Russell, "That's the thing, she really doesn't. We can't help you anymore."

For a second Darla and Drusilla thought they would be able to leave the vineyard. Russell had gently bowed his head in defeat but he couldn't resist playing his hand just a little farther. "You girls may leave the sanctuary whenever you wish. I can't stop you. But know the moment you set foot off the grounds unescorted by myself or a handler you'll be bathed in holy water and left for the sunrise." With a snap of his fingers three burly men in FBI suits sped to his side in a blur of motion. Soon the men had Darla and Drusilla pressed against the walls of the vineyard. Russell turned to address the tallest of the three men a Latino named Marco, "Marco, Darla here wants to pay a visit to the father of her child could you be a dear and drive her to that old manor he's holed up in. Bring whatever men you feel is needed for such a meeting. I'm certain afterwords he'll be more than delighted to come to the vineyard for a visit. So make sure your best men are stationed outside to greet him, when he pops by." Shifting his attention back to the two women, "I bid y'all a good evening my lovely nieces." In a rush of blurry motion he exited the vineyard.

It had only taken twenty minutes for Russell to get across town to the gated community of Sunnydale's garish Mansion crowd. "Humans, making monuments to themselves." Russell muttered bitterly to himself, as he knocked on the mahogany door of the largest and godliest of oversized Californian mansion's.

It wasn't long before the mistress of the house, Hannah, came to the door. The bouncy bubbly girl gave a teasing cherry smile to the ancient vampire. "Oh Russell, it's wonderful to see you again. Hank's downstairs working. Come in please." She got out of the doorway, letting the vampire inside.

Moving much like a big cat does in the jungle Russell walked into the open hallway of the house; that connected the first floor together. "Why thank you Miss Jones. How very kind of you." It wasn't long before he felt big blue baby doll eyes, boring holes into his head. He turned to greet the staring eyes, finding a little brunette girl that was no older than fourteen, standing in middle of the hall. _This must be the little__sister, Dawn_. Dawn had been on her way from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn for a step mother and daughter bonding movie night when she saw Russell. From her many years of watching her sister play the part of the Slayer, Dawn knew a vampire when she saw one and the lean stockbroker-ish man in the front hall screamed Vampire. She hugged the large popcorn bowl to herself while her mouth hung slacked jawed. Russell admired the little girl's pink flannel PJ bottoms with the clingy white Hello Kitty tank top that unwittingly showed off her pre-adolescent breasts. "Who is this little thing? She's just cute enough to eat."

Hannah glanced over to Dawn, "Oh this is my future stepdaughter, Dawn. Come over here Dawny and meet Russell. He's one of your dad's clients."

Enjoying the pale look of absolute astonishment on the girl's face Russell decided to play with the girl. Showing just a hint of fang he made a show of himself, "I thought Hank only had the one. You know that pretty little blonde if you go for that kinda thing. What was she called?" He pretended to think hard but watched for Dawn's reaction, "She is a slayer... what is her name again... hmm Buffy, right?" The reaction did not disappoint. The popcorn bowl clanged on the floor making a mess as the girl's eyes nearly popped from her head. Russell could tell the girl wanted to run back into the kitchen and tell her sister about the vampire in their fathers house but she was frozen to the spot.

Hannah scoffed, "Dawn what's gotten into you. Go clean that up."

Dawn started to clean up the popcorn, shoveling it back in the bowl. All the while she rambled on, "Yeah… Okay... So this is one of dads clients?"

Russell closed the gap between him and Dawn making her nearly drop the popcorn again. He kissed her hand in greeting, "A pleasure to finally meet you, Dawn. Your father talks a lot about you and your sister of course."

Dawn blinked for a second unsure what to do before channeling her inner slayer. "Yeah... my dad doesn't really talk about business that much with us. What are you and my dad doing together?"

"He's helping me arrange an adoption. Nothing you would be interested in, my darling." He flashed a little grin as Dawn pulled her hand back.

Dawn backed away toward the kitchen, "I should call Buffy. To see if she's still coming to movie night. It was great to meet you, Russell." It wasn't long until she was back in the kitchen.

The vampire turned to Hannah, "I think I scared the little lamb."

Hannah sighed, "I suppose. I need to talk to her about this. Hank should be downstairs just go that way until you see the steel door." She pointed to the left of the hall way.

Russell parts ways with Hannah heading toward a steel door painted white to look like the rest of the white wood doors peppered through the hall. Three times Russell knocks on the door waiting for Hank to appear. The Lawyer, answered the door more than a little frustrated with the interruption. "Russell not that I mind you stopping by but I'm in the middle of something important," Hank huffed.

"My apologies Hank, I just want to give my congratulations in person. A little birdy told me, you were going to be a grand pappy." Russell gave a wolfish grin leaning on the door frame.

A sudden frown stained Hank's normally glib lips. "I appreciate your thought but I have an interrogation going bad down stairs. My guy that normally does this has decided to go on an unannounced sabbatical."

"Yeah I've heard. In fact my little birdy told me his sabbatical took place in Death Valley." The scent of blood hung in air staining the black Italian leather of Hanks shoes. Russell let his fangs drop at the scent of blood sending the lawyer scuffling backwards. "Clearly, whoever you have downstairs can wait. We have a problem. One in which you created. First by trusting that fucking Fairy cunt, Ella and then by enlisting that vampire as the Slayers bodyguard."

All Hank could do was step forward out of the door way and shut the steel door behind him. "Fine. Let's talk." The two men walked down the hall to Hank's office. The lawyer pulled the door open letting Russell inside before entering himself.

The door safely shut, Russell began his story. "That fairy cunt of yours is a problem. Do you know why?" It was rhetorical question and Hank was waiting for the punch line. "She wants to claim the new Slayer line. A line that would have died out if not for that goddamn vampire you hired."

Hank closed his hazel-green eyes, groaning inwardly, "You act as if I wanted this to happen. Well I didn't. I just want my daughter back. No grand babies, no super powers, no demons trying to kill her. Just my plain old daughter." Furiously, Hank's eye's snapped open giving a glare that would send lesser men running. "You fucked up. You were supposed to make sure the families did not try to kill her. My associate could've handled the rogue demon attacks but you and Lore hired assassins which prompted her to go along with that damn ritual!"

Russell snarled, "Even if I had gone along with your plan. You would've lost the vote regardless. Everyone wanted the Slayer dead! It had only been because of my quick thinking that allowed the Slayer to live as long as she has. Now like I was saying. Ella wants to claim the next slayer and all the ones after. She wants the Fae to be the new Watchers Council." He retold the story of Lore's death and the use of Glory to strong arm the remaining families of the Council of Demonic and Supernatural Affairs so she could claim the slayer with their full backing. Before he added new information. "Now that cunt is in bed with the Watchers Council so all she has to do is slip in take the baby without a fight from either party. We can't let that cunt get the next generation of slayers. If she get's them they'll be used as a gun for the Fae cause which isn't good for humans or vampires."

Hank sighed dramatically, "Please don't insult my intelligence. You don't give a rats ass if Ella takes the baby or not. Your worried your fellow chairman at the Authority will have your fangs if you don't come back to the headquarters with something whether it's Buffy's head or the baby Slayer. Don't pretend, otherwise its tacky. Just say, 'Hank my old friend I need your grandchild'. Now I might not like my daughter's work and I really wish she didn't do this to herself but it serves a purpose and that purpose is to keep evil son's of bitches like you, from destroying the world. So I will never help you get my granddaughter."

It hadn't been a second after Hank's declaration, that Russell had the lawyer off the ground with his hand around the lawyer's throat. "Tacky? No, son, tacky is this house and you doing that dramatic sigh on that undeserved moral high ground. It pisses me off. You came to me. You said to me, 'All the slayers in the world are gonna vanish and die save one, Buffy. Please Russell help me keep my baby alive, when her power's fail. I'll give you whatever you want.' I did. Now I want you to give to me the child she carry's. Or I will rip her spine out through her throat and give it too you before I pluck Dawny's pretty blue eyes out."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Big thanks too Seiftis-forevs-47 for betaing the fic

Sorry it took so long for this chapter, the holiday were supper busy.

Read and Enjoy


	21. Sunnydale

Sunnydale

Chapter Twenty One

The black Desoto spun into Sunnydale barely an hour before sunrise. Spike was not sure if coming back to Sunnydale was the right idea. The Slayer had left him after all and that seemed to Spike to be a clear sign she didn't want him. It seemed a simple fact of Spike's unlife that whatever brief second he actually thought he had the girl he loved, was nothing more than an illusion brought on by magic. Still the idea of just not coming back was distasteful, especially when considering the fact Buffy was carrying his child. No Spike needed to come back if just to watch her back from the millions of creatures that will surely want her and their child dead. After dropping off his Desoto at the grave keeper's place he marched to Willy's place and found the bartender locking up for the evening. The greying sky screamed there was hardly enough time for Spike to question Willy the snitch on the goings ons in the Slayer's life. Sure, from the claim Spike was able gleam a few emotions from the Slayer but that didn't tell him anything. Often at times, the whirling changes of the Slayer's mood had been like one of those ink blot tests the Initiative had given him; muddled and open for interpretation. The truth was, Spike didn't want to get blind sided by some danger the Slayer found herself in. Most of the information from the weasel-like little man had been no surprise for Spike. The slayer was the Super girl once again, the Watcher Council wanted a piece of her and the commando's were still attempting to keep the peace of old Sunnydale but that wasn't all. One piece of information stood out above all else. Drusilla was still in town with the hopes of getting him back. He had been prepared for his sire to leave town, cursing his name after her failed attempt with the soldier. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think Drusilla would grovel to him. At one time in Spike's unlife he dreamed of her begging for his forgiveness with some type of love token. Only now he feared that love token would be his Slayer's pretty little head.

Before Spike could question Willy further on the subject a prickle of cold flashed through the claim. Instantly Spike found himself alter, his demon mask in full swing. Willy's eyes widen in panic, soon he was stuttering not sure what he did to anger the vampire in front of him. "Uh, Uh, I d-d-don't know what ya, ya, ya want me to t-t-tell ya. Drusilla is, is laying low and the Slayer is back to her bitchy self." Spike didn't even register what the little man was saying. Suddenly a protective wave washed over him and he zoomed from the bar. Quickly, as fast as Spike's feet could manage, he was across town outside his crypt in Restville Cemetery. The prickle in the claim indicated that Buffy was there so he kicked in the door. In the dank crypt Spike found Buffy pinning Angel face first into the stone wall. Her voice was all slayer, low and dangerous, "Let me be very clear about this Angel. It is absolutely none of your business who I am with. And if you ever touch me again, your gonna wish I just staked you."

Spike stalked through the gloom of the crypt towards his Slayer. He didn't like the way Angel eyed the mark on Buffy's neck, once she freed him from her hold. "Now, do you mind explaining why you're here and harassing my mate?" He spat hating Angel more than normal but he couldn't figure out why. Spike had a sense that something happen between the two ex-lovers but he wasn't sure.

Angel glowered between the slayer and vampire. "You claimed Buffy." He took a step forward, putting himself between the two blondes.

Spike shrugged passively, "Yeah. Still not hearing why you're here."

Buffy pushed past Angel to answer her mate, with a roll of her eyes, she huffed, "He's here because of Darla. I am here because I wanted answers." Giles had put the seed of doubt in Buffy's head about Spike's motivations in regards of this last Slayer business. Then when Spike remained absent from her life after her pregnancy test debockle, the doubt grew into a large oak tree. That could house thousands of little birds chirping about how evil Spike can be. Yet seeing Spike now fiddling with his lighter stealing glances at her Buffy could feel some of the birds fly away.

He couldn't mask the hurt in his voice when he grumbled, "Well, pet out of the two of us, I should be the one in your place demanding answers." Spike leaned on a wall searching Buffy's hard jade eyes for why she left.

Buffy shifted under Spike scrutiny, "Trust me Spike. I think you have a lot to answer for." She kept in mind she was here to interrogate Spike not fall into his arms and tell him she shouldn't have left. Desperately she tried to call back the birds that had so clearly reminded her that Spike was evil but the branches of her internal tree of doubt were breaking off.

Spike sighed with the understanding that one of Bufffy's friends must have poisoned the well against him, so he turned to Angel with a scowl. "I don't give a toss about whatever trouble Darla has caused so if you could bugger off, so me and the Mrs. can have ourselves our little domestic in peace that would be great." He stormed to the other side of the crypt lighting a few candles so Buffy didn't have to bumble around in the dark when they started to fight.

Angel's eyes were hooked on the marks on Spike's neck. "You claimed him back." His voice was far away and disbelieving.

She looked at her first love indulgently, "Yes Angel. I did. I am sorry about Darla but me and Spike have a few things we have to work out in private." Buffy gave Angel a sad smile.

Angel nodded before explaining, "Its not just about Darla. Dru too." The deep pools of Angel's eyes narrowed at Spike. He had expected a reaction from the lovesick vampire but not the one he got.

Spike stiffened at the announcement, "What did they do? Have they come after you love." In a few quick strides he was beside Buffy caressing her face lovingly looking for visible injuries.

The last of the birds chirping that 'Spike's evil stay away' flew from her head and Buffy chuckled, "Spike, if I was hurt wouldn't you have felt it through the bond thingy? And besides Slayer remember. I can protect myself from the likes of Darla and Drusilla."

Angel's mouth dropped at the moment the couple shared, as they both stared at the other desperately in love with one another.

Despite Buffy's cries of reassurance, Spike was still worried, "You don't understand love. Dru... She's got a thing for pregnant women. I don't want Dru to get her hands on you or the kid."

Softly almost tenderly Buffy found herself kissing Spike. "Drusilla and Darla have not come after me."

Angel cleared his throat before the moment could shift from tender to intimate.

Spike turned to level a glare at Angel. "Why are you still here?"

Angel's eyes rolled at the display, "Darla and Drusilla have been taken captive by the Authority."

Buffy frowned, suddenly very interested in Angel's problem. "The Authority? I thought they were working together?" A speculative look was shot at Spike as a few birds flew back with the song of Giles'warning whistling from they're beaks.

Angel recalled his return from patrol, Darla standing in the manor her stomach huge with child, his child. He still didn't understand how that was possible but he knew he wasn't going to figure it out with five large Lithian vampires armed with cross bows and holy water holding Darla captive. Angel had called in for reinforcements from LA. Gun and Wesley were already on they're way but what Angel needed was extra muscle. "I think the five armed guards holding Darla captive, would disagree."

Spike shrugged, "Could be a trick."

"You didn't see her. She was different…" Darla- for the first time that Angel could remember -looked helpless.

Spike scoffs, "If you mean knocked up then, yeah, you're right. But that doesn't change the fact she's a disdainful bitch."

Angel looked at Spike as if he had just poured holy water on him. "You knew. And you didn't tell me."

"Wasn't my story to tell." Spike looked slightly ashamed.

Buffy piped up, "Wait, Darla's pregnant. How? You didn't."

Angel bit his lip, "Hmm well… you have no room to talk. Claimed by Spike. And you're having his child, so yeah. Don't do that whole hands on your hips judgemental thing."

Buffy already had her hands on her hips but changed the pose to one with her arms folded across her chest and her face stern. "Don't you dare compare Spike and I's situation to yours and Darla's. You could have lost your soul!"

Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy's small frame, "Yep she's right, apples and oranges." Inhaling her scent he gave a leer through her locks of hair, "Now me and the Slayer could do with a little privacy. So do show yourself out." Playfully he nipped at her ear.

Buffy ignored the chill of pleasure that crept up her spine; forcing herself to pull away from his grasp. "No. There's going to be none of that until we talk."

"Come on love. I thought you were done being unreasonably mad at me." Spike teases.

Buffy then put her hands on her hips, "One, I was never mad at you. And I had reasons… It was just complicated..."

Angel sighed dramatically interrupting the lovers exchange, yet again. "Look Buffy, I need Spike's help to save Darla and subsequently Drusilla. Gun and Wesley are coming down to help me come up with a plan but I need some extra muscle. If I am going against the Authority, I'll need all the help I can get."

Spike looked sadly at Buffy hating himself for still wanting to run off to Drusilla's rescue. "Sorry mate. Dru is..."

Buffy stepped in for him groaning just a little, "We'll help you." She grabs Spike's hand squeezing it a little. "It's okay Spike. We'll help her but she better get the hell out of town afterwards." She turned her attention back to Angel. "Where are they being held?"

"What?" Spike tilted his head to the side, surprised by Buffy's behaviour.

Angel answers, "The Authority set-up shop in the Vineyard just east of here."

Spike shakes his head, finding his words. "No. We're not getting involved. Dru is your problem now, so is Darla."

Buffy looked stern again, ignoring Spike's protest for the moment, "I am assuming this Vineyard is well protected seeing how you didn't just run in there on your own?" Angel nods, "We'll need a plan. Tell Wesley to contact Giles, we'll meet up at his place."

Angel agreed, "Okay. Thank you Buffy." He gave a quick goodbye to the two lovers and left the crypt.

Now alone Spike whirled on Buffy twisting her around to face him. "You are not getting involved in this."

Buffy narrowed her eyes, glaring at Spike. "Are you working for them?" She broke away trying to get as much space between her and the vampire as possible. She needed to keep a clear head so she could protect her child. Yes, the rotting branches from her mental tree were healing and some more birds started to build nests, but the way Spike's eyes widened in horror and mouth seemed to be unable to form words kept her second guessing.

Spike jerked is head back as if he had been physically punched. He sputtered, "Who? The Authority. You're kidding me right." Buffy's face was stony demanding an answer without saying a word. "No. The Authority is the bleeding Watchers Council for Vampires. I hate groups like that and I want nothing to do with them." His voice was cold and venomous, "Now don't change the bloody subject. Angel can handle his own problems. I am not going to let you risk your life and our child's life for the sodding scourge of Europe."

She then had a forlorn frown stain her face. "These Authority people wanted to help me in trade for a key, remember. I want to know what this key is... if it's our..." She swallowed hard desperately trying to keep her hormones under control. So she decided to be angry, "So I am going to risk my life to protect my daughter from this shadowy vampire associate."

Once again Spike was taken aback. "OUR daughter Slayer! And if your right about OUR daughter being this sodding key they need, waltzing into they're base of operations is a bloody terrible idea."

She gritted her teeth her head hurting, "Your right." She looked sadly at Spike, Giles' words echoing in her head, "What's your scam, Spike?"

The whole story about Hank was on the tip of his tongue begging to come out but Spike couldn't form the words. "No scam love. I promise." Inwardly Spike added 'Not any more at least.'

Buffy felt the lie in his words and replied with a sigh, "You can't say you haven't been acting out of character? We were mortal enemies and up until three months ago, you had tried to kill me. Now your one of the good guys helping me when I was at my lowest?! Even though your chip stopped working around the same time! Now this huge Vampire group appears in my town working with your ex, who you were in love with for over 100 years. If that wasn't weird enough, you just happen to show up in Death Valley during Tatamy's ritual. And you expect me to believe its not connected in any way?"

"Again, I have nothing to do with those wankers! I don't know why Dru was working with them. I had no bloody idea you were at Death Valley until I got there. In fact the only reason I was out there was for you. I was solving your Capt. Cardboard problem because Angel didn't have the stones to finish the job. Bloody hell Slayer, can't you see that I love you."

Buffy choked back on her tears, "What about the chip?" When no answer came forth Buffy nodded sadly, "Okay Spike. After this business with Authority is handled I want you stay away from me and my daughter. Unless you want to start telling me the truth."


End file.
